Shadow of the Cat
by WyldeGod
Summary: Seattle is falling into Chaos. Max has embraced the dark side. Logan is missing. Lydecker is Awol. White has brought the war home. The S1FH continues...
1. Default Chapter

Welcome to the next installment of The Future History.  I posted a version of this earlier this summer, but summertime activities have kept me very busy.  I apologize to my loyal readers for this, but we all have lives so I'm sure you all understand.

Anyway, this is Shadow of the Cat.  Part seven of The Future History.  We find Eyes Only has resurfaced, but is it really Eyes Only?  Only Original Cindy and the gang know for sure.  Max is falling into darkness without Logan and speaking of the man… where is he?

I have to thank Abregaza at this point for keeping me straight on some points (technical errors and continuity) that I've missed.  Catherder, Beta of the First Order, has pointed out many grammatical errors I don't really care about, but have changed anyway because she told me to.  LOL.  Anyway, as always, thanks for reading, please review.  Let me know what you think and above all else, always ENJOY!

All Good things…

Three Months Later…

          "Bip bip bip.  These packages aren't going to deliver themselves!" Normal shouted.  "How many times do I have to say that?"

          "That's three times today, dude." Sketchy said.

          "And five yesterday," Sky added, bumping fists with Sketchy.  Normal stopped in front of them and stared.  Sketchy smiled an awkward smile.  Sky looked up for a split second before grabbing one of the packages Normal was holding and heading out the door.

          "But who's counting?" Sketchy added.  "What?"

          "I've got a really hot run." Normal smiled.

          "Oh, man!  You're sending me clear across town, aren't ya?"

          "Would I do that to you?" Normal asked.  He leaned closer to Sketchy's face, handing him a flat package.  "NOW BIP!!" He shouted.

          "This is out in no man's land," Sketchy said.

          "Lucky for you, you're not a man," Normal said.  "And just where have you been, missy?" he asked, as OC walked down the ramp.  She ignored him and headed toward the lockers deep inside Jam Pony Headquarters.

          "I've been in South Market where ya sent me, fool." she replied.  "I got held up at a checkpoint because some disgruntled something or other decided it was a fine day to start firing his weapon into the air.  They locked down the sector.  I called.  Alec took the message.  Didn't he tell you?" She glared at Alec as he rolled in and headed to the counter.

          "Oh, by the way…" Alec entered the conversation.  "Original Cindy called.  She's been held up in South Market and won't be back for a while." He dug through about four packages until he found one he wanted, and then left without another word.

          "Thanks for passing that along, Alec." Cindy shouted after him.  "Next time why don't'cha just tell him I don't exist."

          Druid walked up and started digging through packages on the counter.  "Ya got anything for sector ten?  I've got to be in ten in less than an hour." he said.

          "I'll be in the back taking a break." OC interjected.

          "What's going on in Sector ten?" Normal asked.

          "Nothing," Druid answered.

          "Hold on there, missy, I'm not through with you yet." Normal turned toward OC.  She continued walking away.

          "Do I really have to go all the way across town with this?" Sketchy asked.

          "Hey boss," Biggs walked in. "The lady over at 5150 refused this package because she doesn't remember ordering it.  I argued with her for fifteen minutes until she threatened to call sector security.  Now, if you want to call her and explain the situation to her, then I'll gladly take it back over…"

          Normal had turned and was watching OC walk away.  Two more messengers came up to the desk and walked off with packages.  "Get signatures!" Normal shouted after them.  He looked at Biggs.  "I'll call her.  You head back over." He pointed toward the door, in the hopes that Biggs would actually go without wasting any time.

          "Where am I going again?" Sketchy asked.  He still hadn't left.

          "Read the damn package." Normal shouted.  "Why aren't you gone yet?" he asked Sketchy.  The stoner turned, scratching his head, and walked toward the lounge area, mumbling.

          "Why do I always have to go across town when there are so many other packages that can be…" His voice trailed off around the corner of the lockers.

          "Why do you have to be in sector 10?" Normal asked Druid.

          "There's a meeting I need to attend."  Druid answered.

          "One of your Pagan ritual sacrifices, no doubt." 

          "Sacrifices?" Druid asked.  "Just because I practice the technical arts doesn't mean I sacrifice virgins or anything." He laughed.  "Ya got something for ten or not?"

          "Here, take these three." Normal reached over the counter and pulled up three tubes.  "Deliver them first and get signatures.  After that, I don't care what you do, but you better be back here after lunch."

          Normal waved Druid off with a flutter of his fingers before turning and stomping after Original Cindy.  She was sitting in front of her locker when he walked up to her.  CeCe was sitting beside her.  They weren't talking.  They were watching Normal.

          "Didn't I send you out of here about ten minutes ago?" he asked CeCe.

          "I just got back," she said.  "Here's the signature." 

She held out a paper to him.  He took it, looking it over.  "Under ten minutes." he said.

          "It was just across the sector," CeCe explained.  "I'll be back." She looked down at OC as she stood.

          "What was that about?" Normal asked.

          "Nothun' that concerns you." OC said.  "Do you want something?"

          "You okay?" 

          "I watched a man get shot today." OC said.  "I've seen worse.  Believe me, I've seen worse, but things are getting bad around here.  These last three months have seen Seattle falling hard and fast.  It's getting bad out there.  I had to rely on some of my military training just last week."

          "Well I feel for you, but it's getting bad for everybody." Normal said.  "Here.  Not so hot run to sector ten.  Get to it soon, please." 

          He turned and walked away, leaving OC standing there watching after him.  "NO ROUGHHOUSING ON THE PREMISES!!!" he shouted from some distance away.  "Idiots!  We're not insured!"

          OC laughed.  It was the first time in a long time.  Things had indeed become bad in the last three months.  Almost to the week of Logan's disappearance and Max's return to Seattle, things had started to go sideways.  Crime was at an all-time high.  Young children were disappearing at an alarming rate.  Business and government had tightened the grip on the masses, and left the already poor people with that much less.

          Cindy had noticed.  She was aware.  She was right in the center of it.  The Phalanx had brought the war to the front door, setting up camp in Seattle.  They knew Eyes Only was centered here.  They knew the transgenics were headquartered here.

          They knew X5-452 was in Seattle.  They had come for Max.

          CeCe returned and sat down beside OC.  "Where's that going?"

          "Ten. A business," OC said.  "I've been there before.  It's a quiet place trying to do good things.  They have a pretty rough time of it, but they manage."

          "What's the business?" CeCe asked.  "Anything we can help with?"

          "New people?" OC asked.

          "Fourteen so far this week and it's only Wednesday.  We're running out of clothing and supplies.  There're only three beds left in the Safe House.  We're going to be doubling up over there soon."

          "Not to worry.  The other safe house is set up.  We're working the power grid this weekend.  It will be livable by Monday and have running water by the weekend." Original Cindy said.

          "Should we set up security there?" CeCe asked.

          "You can send people over as soon as you need to.  Just send them in small groups though."

          "Understood." CeCe said.

          "What's understood?" Biggs asked as he walked up to the women.  He hadn't actually left.

          "The safe house in sector six is ready.  It's not that far from the Captain's base." OC said.  "I assume that Brin and her people are still housed in Cowers building."

          "They are, and they've settled in just fine.  They're blending in without drawing any attention to themselves."  Biggs explained.  "But we're overrun with transgenics here in Seattle.  I don't know what we'd do if it wasn't for Cale Industries opening its doors to us."

          "Can't argue an entire security staff comprised of genetically enhanced super soldiers…" OC whispered.  Just then, the television grew silent for a split second.  The screen went black, growing into snow which slowly dissolved the screen into the familiar red, white and blue of the streaming freedom satellite hacks.

          "Man, I ain't seen him in a long time," Sketchy shouted.  "I wonder what's going down."

          "Does the set-up look different to you?" a young girl asked.  "What's with the lightning?  Eyes Only never used lightning before."

          "It does."  A big, hulking biker agreed.  "It's a subtle change, but you can certainly tell."

          "It's still the same background so it's still eyes Only."  Sketchy said.  OC, CeCe and Biggs had moved to watch the broadcast.

          "Do not attempt to adjust your set," the voice started.  The voice was different this time.  It had changed.  It was no longer the strong male voice alone.  This time, the deep, resonant tones of a man were chorused with a strong, yet soft, feminine one.  They spoke as one.  "This is a streaming freedom satellite hack of the Eyes Only Informant Net." the chorus of man and woman said.

          Alec rolled in and hung up his bike, just as Normal walked toward the television.  Both were as stunned as everyone else at the new appearance of Eyes Only, but for different reasons.  Original Cindy recognized the new eyes immediately. 

           "This hack cannot be traced."

          They were female eyes this time.  They were the eyes of someone she knew very well.  Those eyes staring out from the screen belonged to only one person.  Max.  "This hack will never be stopped!" The eyes did not remain feminine, however.  Slowly, as everyone was watching, the eyes began to morph into those of a male.  A man all fans of Eyes Only were familiar with.  Original Cindy recognized those eyes as well.  

          The chorus tested the tolerance of the flat screen's speakers.  "IT IS THE ONLY FREE VOICE LEFT IN THIS BROKEN WORLD…" The sentence echoed, reverberating through the small commons area within the confines of Jam Pony.

          "This hack is being beamed throughout these broken states as a warning.  Eyes Only has been silent for far too long… this will not stand.  The city of Seattle has seen a resurgence of criminal activity in the last three months.  The time has come for the cleansing of Seattle to commence.  Recon is in.  Data has been gathered." A picture of a grim-looking man crossed the screen.  He was ugly in a strangely pleasant way.  "This is Rober Dubin.  Not only is he a local gunrunner, but he has been managing a chain of local gambling establishments for the wealthy.  You may be wondering what their specialty is.  They specialize in high-stakes poker and higher-priced girls for lonely old men whose sole claim to fame is the size of their imported cigars.  This is a warning to Dubin and his people.  You have fallen under the gaze of Eyes Only.  Tonight, it ends!" The phasing eyes of Max and Logan flashed brightly with the imprint of cats' eyes.  Lightning burst across the screen, as a low rumbling built in the speakers and rattled the old windows.  "Until Seattle is free, there will be no peace.  Out," the chorus announced.

          There were no words shared.  Biggs, CeCe, Alec, and Original Cindy all turned and headed for the door, pulling their bikes with them.  Alec pulled his down from the hook as Biggs tossed him a package without looking at it.  CeCe and OC each grabbed a package from the counter as they passed.

          "You see.  I don't know where the hell they're going in such a hurry, but at least they took packages…" Normal shouted.  "Bip bip bip, people.  These packages aren't going to deliver themselves!" 

The Conclave

Training Arena…

          "Ames." The High Priestess called to him.

          Ames White was spinning low, trying to sweep the legs before attacking high on his way up to a controlling position.  Unfortunately, he was not fully healed yet after his ordeal with Joe and the transgenics.  There had been more damage than he had first believed.  The redhead, Jondy, had broken his jaw, and 452 had given him a concussion with her kick just a few seconds later.  He had only recently begun to eat solid foods again.

          "Enough," the trainer called.  White stopped in mid-technique.  Standing, he nodded, and walked toward the High Priestess.

          "Ames.  You are not supposed to be here," she said.

          "I am tired of waiting.  I've been following protocols but I am sick of the waiting.  I need to get back into the field.  I need to get out of here." White replied.  "I know we are moving ahead as planned in Seattle.  I will be a part of it."

          "I have no doubt that you will be." The Priestess answered his frustration calmly.  "But you will be a part of it when you are fully recovered and not before.  We cannot risk sending you in at less than your full abilities."

          "I've read the reconnaissance.  The transgenics…"

          "Are leaderless…" she interrupted him.  "Manticore is broken.  The Director is dead.  Their rogue Colonel has disappeared.  Eyes Only hasn't made a broadcast in months now, and 452 has gone to ground.  None of our people have seen her since your encounter north of Phoenix.  She and her kind…"

          "Are centered in Seattle, and so was Colonel Lydecker's operation.  They are just biding their time until the moment is right." White interrupted the priestess.  Several heads in the training area turned to stare.  It was unheard of to disagree with an elder.  "We underestimated our position once before, and Eyes Only got to the transgenics before we even realized he was involved.  Now, Joe and his outcast clan have sided with the freaks against us.  I will not wait around here to defend our home against them."

          "I know, Ames," the High Priestess said.  "You want them to defend their home against us.  It is a noble goal, and one that you will accomplish.  Our experts have been gathering data for centuries.  Not even Fifth Column can stand against, us and we know they will never stand with Joe and the transgenics.  They are children.  They are dependent upon the chain of command, and they are leaderless," she continued.  "Even if they manage to organize without Eyes Only and the rogue Colonel, they are still no match for our Phalanx in straight-up combat."

          "With all due respect, Priestess, the transgenics have a leader.  452 has stood against us with Eyes Only.  When she resurfaces, they will flock to her like moths to the flame.  Only a full-scale invasion of Seattle will stop them.  We cannot let her resurface," White protested.

          "Then we will make sure she does not resurface.  Either way, it is not your concern, Ames." The High Priestess smiled.  "Yet."

          "Forgive me, Priestess," an acolyte said apologetically.  His face was hidden within the depths of his hood and could not be seen.

          "What is it?" she demanded.

          "There is a situation that demands your immediate attention."

          "What kind of a situation?" White asked.  The acolyte did not move or attempt to respond.  "Answer me!" White ordered.

          "Answer him," the High Priestess commanded.

          "Yes, Priestess," The acolyte bowed.  "There has been a new development in the Eyes Only situation.  Eyes Only just ran a satellite hack on a man named Rober Dubin."

          "Who is Rober Dubin?" the Priestess demanded.

          "No one of importance.  Eyes Only claims he runs drugs and guns, and operates an illegal gambling brothel in Seattle," the acolyte explained.  "However, our contact in Seattle is in direct line with Dubin.  The middleman between us and the gunrunner is named Jaerko.  He buys weapons and other ordinance from Dubin, and supplies our contact in Seattle."

          "So Eyes Only ran a new hack on our supply line.  Is there more?" the High Priestess demanded.

          "The hack was different," the acolyte said.  "It was not the same as all of the rest.  The eyes are different.  A male and female set of eyes are being used now.  The male voice has been blended with a female one."

          "Really?  Eyes Only is a new entity now," White commented.

          The High Priestess and White looked at each other for a short time before turning and following the monk out of the Arena.  "You will prepare a full contingent of Phalanx soldiers," The Priestess said to White.  "Go to Seattle and find Eyes Only."

Fogle Towers Penthouse…

          Original Cindy used the key Logan had given her several months back when Max was gone.  She cautiously opened the door, remembering the first time she had let herself in after Logan's disappearance.

          Max had her by the throat before her head was completely through the door.  She had apologized, saying she had forgotten that OC had a key.  Things had grown darker ever since.

          Max had changed.  She had become darker, more intense.  She had taken to walking the edge everywhere and in everything she did.  She had become a soldier in every respect of the word.  Without Logan, she was everything Manticore ever wanted her to be.  She had no balance.  She was not centered.

          "Max.  It's OC." Cindy said.  She stepped cautiously into the outer hall and looked around.  Max was walking through shadow from the far end of the hall.  Jondy was barely visible at the opposite end.  Alec squeezed past OC and stepped into the hall.

          "Logan's not here, is he?" Alec asked.

          "Why would you think that?" Max asked.

          "The hack," Alec said.  "We saw the new look.  Hell, everyone saw the new look."

          "We just thought maybe Logan had come back, and you two had been keeping things on the DL, you know?" CeCe explained.

          "We were kind of hoping," Alec said.

          "Were you?" Max asked through clenched teeth.  "Were you really hoping?  I mean, correct me if I'm wrong, but this is all kind of your fault."

          "Max…" Alec protested.

          "Don't 'Max' me.  Fifteen more minutes and Lydecker wouldn't have had a chance." She turned and walked into the office, and sat down in front of the rig.  Alec started to protest, but though better of it.  "You left," Max mumbled.

          "We'll get him back, Max," Jondy assured her.  "We'll get Logan back, too."

          "Yeah?  Right..."

          "That was an interesting hack," Original Cindy said.  "You runnin' the show now?" 

          "I've been reading and learning from Logan's tutorials."

          "What tutorials?" Biggs asked.  He followed Cindy and CeCe toward the main office.

          "Logan left me a whole folder of tutorials.  It was buried deep in my folder on one of the drives." Max said.  

          "We think he planned for this, or more likely, he had the plan in place in case he disappeared," Jondy explained.  "There's fresh coffee in the kitchen.  Help yourselves."

          "We think," Max said.  "We've assumed that he knew Lydecker was up to something." 

          "When is Lydecker not up to something?" Original Cindy asked.  "He's an asshole.  It's no wonder he made Colonel.  They look for his attitude."

          "Yeah, well... Logan knew something was coming.  The folder had files clearly marked and in a certain order.  He had taken into consideration things I had already known, and left me with a list of stuff I could go through," Max said.

          "Sounds like he knew you would take over big chair when he was gone." Alec commented.

          "What's that supposed to mean?" Max asked with an edge in her voice.

          "It doesn't mean anything," Alec said.  "I was thinking more along the lines of a rescue operation.  He gives you the resources to find him, and we put together an extraction team to pull him out."

          "Pull him out of what?" Max demanded.  "If Deck's plan was to insert Logan into the Conclave for recon, then I'd have to say it failed miserably.  We've had teams in the field for weeks now, and have turned up nothing.  We've captured and interrogated fifteen Phalanx warriors, and each one has chosen to die rather than talk.  We know even less than we did before, and Deck has dropped off the face of the Earth..." She didn't finish the sentence.

          "If Logan was out there and needed extraction, wouldn't he have contacted us by now?" CeCe asked.  "He created the Informant Net, after all.  Don't you think he'd use it?"

          "We don't know that he went in.  We don't know what Deck was up to," Jondy said.  "We have to find Deck or the Doctor and learn what they know.  As far as we know, Logan is dead."

          "He's not," Max stated firmly.   "I would know."

          "Well, either way, we just don't know," Jondy said.

          "Of course we don't," Max growled.  "Someone I know dropped the ball hard and fast on that one." She   glared at Alec.

          "How could I have known?" he asked.  "I hardly ever dealt with the guy.  He was always out hunting for you and the Rogues.  I had no idea what he was capable of."

          "You're the one who was here.  You're the one who could have stayed the extra fifteen minutes.  You should have known the Colonel could not be trusted," Max said calmly, but with an underlying hint of the anger and frustration she could easily unleash on him.  "It _is_ your fault."

          "Max…" Alec started.

          "Get outta my sight," She whispered.  "Jondy and I have a meeting with Bennett in half an hour at Cale Industries."

          "About what?" Biggs asked.  "Should I go with you?"

          "No.  It's just a meeting.  I want to keep him updated on our progress," Max replied.  "OC, would you mind meeting us back here in about an hour?"

          "Sure thing, Boo." OC said.

Bennett's office

Cale Industries…

          "So you've learned nothing?" Bennett asked.  Max shook her head.

          "I haven't found anything on Logan.  Whatever Lydecker did to him or wherever he sent Logan is beyond my ability to verify.  Alec and Biggs said they discussed infiltrating the compound, but Logan isn't a soldier.  He wouldn't have a chance inside there.  We've interrogated several Phalanx warriors, but they're not talking.  Logan was the information guy.  I'm new at this," Max explained.  "I've got Sebastian digging around for anything he can find, but he's pulling a blank as well."

          "So your Colonel has covered his tracks pretty well," Bennett commented.

          "If his men know where Deck is, they aren't talking.  He seems to have abandoned them," Max explained.  "I've got half a company of Manticore Black Ops waiting in the wings for assignments.  I have nothing for them to do."

          "Black Ops you say?" Bennett raised an eyebrow.  Max turned toward the window, not wanting to look at Bennett just then.  "Are they trained?"

          "Of course," Jondy replied.  "Deck's troops were specialists from all branches."

          "So they need work?" Bennett asked.  "I might have something for them in a few days.  I've got a situation that might need looking into.  We could put them to use clearing up some minor irritants in the process."

          "What do you mean?" Max asked.  "Are you talking about corporate stuff here, or are you planning a war?" She laughed.  Jondy snickered but Bennett was stone-faced.

          "Corporations go to war all the time, but since the pulse, those wars have been fought with private armies.  I've got a situation with a rival company.  They are gathering troops and plan a move on some abandoned military installations.  I'd rather they not get a foothold with their mercenaries."

          "Would 45 or 50 troops work in that situation?" Jondy asked.  "Even if the military base is abandoned, that's still only a handful of squads even if they _are_ the best."

          "I've just purchased the land from Washington State.  I had planned to set up some research facilities out there, but Parker Labs is sending in the mercenaries in three days.  Two at the earliest," Bennett explained.  "I need to take it and hold it until we can secure the location for our own use.  The State sold us the land.  It's no longer their problem."

          "That's so like the government.  Take your money and wash their hands of the whole deal," Jondy said.  "We could send some people out there to watch over the place."

          "Plus your new security staff could be tapped in this situation," Max continued.  "Then you could house the troops there, and make plans from a legitimate base of operation."

          "I was planning something along those lines.  The corporate world has become more than just business.  It's about control now.  Some of our exclusive technology was leaked during the government takeover.  My father had some stuff on his system back at the house, but what's been leaked cannot be brought back.  The old laws don't sit well with anyone anymore, and backing up product with force is becoming part of daily operations," Bennett explained before changing the subject.  "What's up with the Dubin guy?"

          "He's going to fall hard, tonight," Max said.  "We've got a team in place and we're going to take him out and learn who he knows.  We'll find out who's the next link on the chain." 

          "You already know who the next link on the chain is, don't you?" Bennett asked.

          "Jondy has been running some late night surveillance on Dubin.  He meets with a man called Jaerko.  We know practically nothing about this man, except that he has a connection to rebels in the Brazilian Coalition.  Their funding comes from Egypt," Max said.

          "The trail ends there, though," Jondy finished.  "We're sure that Dubin will give us Jaerko tonight."

          "How sure is sure?" Bennett asked.  "What are the chances that he'll give up this Jaerko?"

          "There is a 100% probability that he will give up Jaerko before we start with him," Max said.  "He's got bodyguards that he uses for even the slightest problems."

          "Dubin is a pretty boy," Jondy said.  "He wouldn't last ten seconds in an interrogation.  We expect him to offer us money after he gives up Jaerko."

          "Then what?  Kill him?"

          "With extreme prejudice," Max stated.  Her tone was low, smooth, and cold.  There was no mistaking it.  She wanted to kill him just to relieve her stress.  Jondy even cast a sidelong glance at Max.  Bennett could almost taste the ice in her veins.

          "Max..." Bennett started.  She interrupted.

          "I want Seattle to be what it was.  I want Lydecker strung up by his balls." She continued in the same tone.  "The Colonel took my man away from me.  He will pay.  He will pay for everything he has done.  I will get Logan back!"

          The room fell silent for a long time.  Several minutes passed.  Finally, Bennett spoke.  "I want Logan back, too.  He's family.  You two and your friends saved this company.  Nothing will be the same without him.  I will use every resource at my disposal, Max.  You just have to ask."

          "Ask for what? I'm making this up as I go."

          "Just tell me what you need," Bennett said.  "Whatever it is, if it's within my power to give, it's yours."

          Again, the room fell silent.  Again, they stared into their own space.  Time passed slowly.  Max walked over to the office window.  She stared out over the city as rain poured from the sky.

          "Tell me about Jaerko.  What do you know so far?" Bennett asked.

          "Not much," Jondy said.  "We have some surveillance from a meeting with Dubin.  They discussed plans to move some cargo into the city tonight.  Jaerko isn't going to be there, but Dubin and his people will be…"

          "We're going to move in and take out everyone.  Jondy and I will isolate Dubin and get his information," Max admitted.  "Once we have the information, we take him out."

          "So his power base will be non-existent after tonight," Bennett said.  Max nodded.

          "Then it's on to the next bad guy," Jondy said.

          "You're sure you don't need anything?" Bennett asked again.

          "You've already given us the drone surveillance.  That should be enough," Jondy answered.  "What about you?  How are things around here?"

          "Smooth enough," the ex-marine said.  "We've had two more attempts at infiltration, though.  Both failed."

          "Infiltration by whom?" Max demanded.

          "We don't know.  None of them survived capture, and so far, none have left the grounds with any information.  One of the X-6 was wounded in the last engagement.  Spirit, I think her name is.  She'll pull through.  That's twice this week alone.  It makes five attacks this month, and there's still a week and a half left," Bennett said.  "They haven't hit our home yet.  I don't want to worry Marianne, but this is going to get very ugly before it gets any better, isn't it?"

          "It is.  The Conclave has been steadily moving Phalanx soldiers into the city.  I haven't figured out how yet.  They keep trickling in, small numbers only.  We've got people on it," Max explained.  "We keep getting more stragglers ourselves.  Our people out looking for Logan send them in.  We still have no trace of him though, even with some of our best trackers on it."

          "There has to be some lead," Bennett said.  "There has to be something, somewhere.  I have some contacts of my own working on it.  Some old buddies of mine from the Marines have been helping out.  They're running down some leads for me, and when I learn anything, you will be the first one I call."

          "I appreciate it," Max said.  "Expect the same from my end."

          Bennett replied, "You don't sound convinced that we can find him." 

          "Logan is Eyes Only," Max said.   "And everyone knows that Eyes Only doesn't exist."

Conclave Catacombs

Terminal Arena…

          He stared out over the large underground arena watching the soldiers practicing their combat.  They were strong.  He had to admit that.  These men and women were literally beating themselves senseless.  Occasionally, one would be dragged to the side and left there.  On extremely rare occasions, one would be tossed into the pit and forgotten, the body broken beyond repair or healing.

          The brown robed figure sat quietly, watching, nibbling on the apples he brought with him.  It had been pure luck that he had found them.  A long time had passed since he had eaten much more than gruel and stale bread.

          "Fe'nos tol," a man said behind him.

          "Fe'nos tol," the monk answered.  

          "You know, Jack," the man continued.  "I'd swear you have a death wish.  I have no idea how you get away with it."

          "With what?" Jack asked.

          "Sitting in here and watching the soldiers train.  And that they allow you to do it is another thing I haven't been able to figure out," the man said.

          "It's simple, Bob.  I come in here every day at the same time and sit here in silence for an hour.  I eat my meals and I watch.  Nothing more."

          "You say that like you want to be one of them." Bob smiled.  "But you know as well as I do that you were not bred for the Phalanx.  You are too smart."

          "I know, but watching them calms me for some reason.  It's like I understand what's going on inside of their heads," Jack explained.

          "It's not hard to figure out," Bob said.  "Kill or be killed."

          "That's the layman's definition," Jack answered.  "There is so much more going on inside of them.  I can see it and feel it.  When one of them dies in training, it's like I can taste their spirit in the air I'm breathing."

          "You are officially freaking me out, buddy," Bob said.

          "Maybe, but it's all connected somehow.  I just need to figure out the whole thing."

          "Is this about those dreams you told me about?" Bob asked.

          "No."  Jack answered.

          "So you're not having the dreams anymore?"

          "The little gypsy girl is still there every night.  She watches over me," Jack replied.  "Always when things are at their worst, she comes out of the shadows and wraps me up in her light.  She protects me."

          "From what?"

          "From whatever dark and evil things are crawling around inside of my head," Jack answered.

          "Jack Eastman.  You are a loon!" Bob laughed.

          "I may very well be." Jack laughed with him.  "But don't hold your breath on that one."

          "I never hold my breath. I can't swim.  C'mon, we've got to get back to the lab."

          "Yeah...  I suppose you're right," Jack said.  "Not like I have all day to dream about fighting the good fight." He smiled.  Bob tilted his head and looked at him.

          "What the hell do you think you've been doing all these years?" Bob asked with a laugh."

          "Running code," Jack said with a smile.  "Yeeawww!" He gestured as if cracking a whip.  "Get along there little null set."

          "You are a loon." Bob laughed again.  The two men headed out and down a long manmade tunnel, away from the training area.

          Twenty minutes later they walked into a large room, cooled by a natural vent and filled with several banks of state-of-the-art computers.  The two brown-robed men stepped into the room and looked around.  The place was mad with activity.  There were a hundred people running around.  Some were shouting, trying to get others to pay attention to them.  Others were yelling commands to the rest in the room, trying to maintain some level of control.  Still more were sitting in front of terminals, punching keys, and calling for assistance.  Bob reached out and grabbed someone.

          "What the hell is going on?" he demanded.

          "It's Eyes Only.  There's been a hack.  We are studying it.  It seems that Eyes Only has changed," a monk said.

          "What do you mean, changed?" Bob demanded of the acolyte.

          "See for yourself." 

          Bob and Jack walked over and stood in front of the monitor.  The monk nodded to his counterpart at the keyboard.  The replay began.  The four monks stood there and watched it without saying a word.  Their faces were shrouded within the deep recess of their hoods.  No one could see any reaction.

          No one could see the look of complete shock on Jack's face.  No one understood what went through his mind when he recognized the eyes on the screen.  It wasn't just the gypsy girl's eyes staring back at him.  Her eyes were the first thing he noticed.  The male eyes were what really threw him.

          He couldn't help it.

          Until today, things had been strange but simple.  Wake up in the morning and take breakfast.  Worship came next, before a long day of work.  It had been a simple life.  It had been an uncomplicated life.

          Sure, he had thoughts that there was something missing.  Sure, he was worried that things just weren't as they should be.  Then Bob came into the picture and showed him around, and he started to see things in a different light.  There was purpose here.  There were believers here.  To a degree, he had become one of them.

          He understood.

          Now, all that had changed.  There, on the screen in front of him, was the initial clue.  It was that one piece of information he had been waiting for.

          It was all in the eyes.  The gypsy girl stared back at him, only this time she wasn't alone.  This time, a man stared back at him right with her.  He knew her eyes.  He knew them better than he knew himself.  Her eyes were what kept him alive, and now they were a part of something greater.  They were a part of something beyond anything he understood.

          The male eyes stared back from that monitor.  To Jack, it was surreal.  It was like looking in a weird mirror.


	2. Chapter Two

Chapter two continues Shadow of the Cat.  Max is slipping into darkness and everyone is beginning to notice.  Bennett Cale is planning to go to war and his chief Lieutenant, Skywalker, a transgenic soldier is helping lead the way.  Wandering Soul, an Eyes Only informant has found in interesting ally and a prime target in the search for Logan, but things have only gotten stranger atop the once glorious structure known as The Gateway Arch in St. Louis.

And what is it about Jack that has Bob suddenly worried?

These questions will be answered and more will be asked in this, the next chapter of Shadow of the Cat.

Read, review and Enjoy!

Burning Down the House 

Dubin's club

Warehouse district…

          It was a cold night.  Rain pelted the city near the warehouse district behind the docks.  Rober Dubin was standing in his office, staring out over the crowd in the casino beneath him.  Mostly nude women giggled, and men in suits laughed over various high stakes tables.  Money changed hands frequently, but no one made as much as Dubin did.

          He liked it that way.  Money bought him power.  It protected him from the feds and local authorities.  It made his empire stronger.  He honestly believed that he would be able to use money for any crisis.  Turning toward his desk, he smiled at the neatly arranged bills in the open suitcase.

          Dubin was confident that Eyes Only would take the five million dollars instead of taking his life.  He had watched the hack earlier that day, fearing for only a short time that his life was in danger.  He calmed somewhat when making the decision to buy Eyes Only.  After all, it had worked for the feds, Homeland Security, and local authorities, so why not the cyber-journalist.

          The door to the office opened, and he reached for his weapon before he realized who it was.  He laughed to himself.  Eyes Only wouldn't come through the front door.  Eyes Only never came through the front door.

          "Hey boss"," a short, squat man said.  His face was covered on one side with scars.  His left arm hung awkwardly at his side.  His body, however, was rippling with muscle, and he moved smoothly across the carpeted floor.  "Everything is ready.  We should go."

          "I really expected him to be here tonight." Dubin commented.

          "If he and his monkeys show up tonight, we'll be ready for them," the goon replied.

          "Have all the men been brought up to speed on the situation?" Dubin asked.

          "They have.  Shall I bring the money?" 

          "Yes.  Zip it up.  We'll give it to Eyes Only's people when they show up."

          "Once they see the kind of firepower we have, they won't show up." The goon laughed.  "Trust me.  No one wants to take on our men and the rebels Jaerko sent over to help tonight.  These guys are monsters."

          "How many are there?" Dubin asked.

          "We have twenty- five armed guards out tonight.  Nothing is going to get in or out."

          "Good." Dubin smiled.  He was sure he had accounted for everything.  No one in this economy could resist five million dollars, not even that do-gooder Eyes Only.

          Twenty minutes later, Dubin's car pulled up outside the main warehouse.  He exited  it and headed inside.  His goon followed with the suitcase full of money.  There were armed guards everywhere.  They all wore body armor, and it was easy to pick out Jaerko's people.  They were monsters.  They looked like something out of a comic book movie.  Big, bulky, and muscle bound, they stood in various locations throughout the small warehouse, watching doors and windows intently.  His own men walked patterns throughout the large complex, keeping an eye on their particular territory.

          He entered the offices high above the main facility and sat down behind his desk. Making a quick phone call, he gave the go-ahead for the transfer of goods, and sat back to wait for the all-clear signal, or to hand over the suitcase full of money, whichever came first.  His goon sat in a chair opposite the desk to wait with him.

          Three hours later, everything was loaded on the truck.  The boat had left port and was heading out to sea.  Dubin was almost disappointed.  He had honestly expected Eyes Only to show up.

          "They ain't coming,"  the goon said.

          "It would appear that way." Dubin replied.  "I guess he figured…" He stopped in mid-sentence when a small figure dropped into the room from the air vent, and snapped the goon's neck where he sat in his chair.  There was no time to react as a second slight figure dropped in beside him, a weapon pointed directly at his head.

          "Good  evening, Mr. Dubin," a woman said.

          "You're Eyes Only?" he asked.  His voice cracked and he swallowed a thick lump in his throat.

          "Never met the man…" she said.  "We just work for him."

          "What do you want?  I Have money…" He said, gesturing toward the suitcase.  "Five million dollars,"

          Both of the intruders giggled.  Dubin realized he was dealing with two women.  "I'll tell you what you can do for us." The female with the gun said.  "You can tell us everything we want to know."

          "You won't hurt me?" 

          "Just answer the questions." The first female said.  "Where is Jaerko?" she demanded.

          "He's in his apartment downtown.  He lives in sector nine near the park.  He always waits there until the deals have gone down." Max and Jondy had been right.  He didn't hesitate to give up his partner.

          "When will he go after the shipment?" 

          "He'll check it out tomorrow afternoon." He said.  "He'll want to know if it arrived and probably skim a few pieces off the top.  You know, to add to his collection."

          "Where will he go to pick the shipment up and who is he delivering it to?"

          "I don't know who he delivers it to… I've never met the man, but I hear they are pretty hardcore -- some kind of military group or something.  We take the stuff to an abandoned house over on Chapel."

          "What's the address?" The brunette demanded.

          "1501," Dubin said.  "It's an old Cape Cod with columns all around the front and side porch."

          "Okay.  Kill him." The brunette said.

          "My pleasure," The redhead answered with a smile.

          "Wait!" Dubin yelled.  "What about the money?  My men will hear the gunshot."

          "Your men are already dead."

Computer lab

Conclave catacombs…

          "So what do we have on Eyes Only?" A monk asked.  He wore the gray robes of administrative personnel within The Conclave.  

          "Not much really," Bob answered.  "He made one hack and has been silent for the last two weeks.  We do know that Rober Dubin is dead.  His warehouse was emptied, and eventually raided by local law enforcement."

          "What about the middle-man?"

          "Jaerko?" Bob snorted.  "He's been missing for a week.  We were expecting a shipment from him five days ago, but it didn't come."

          "Why not?"

          "Eyes Only got to Dubin.  We assume he gave up the location and the cyberpunk intercepted Jaerko when he went to pick up the goods." Bob responded.

          "So we know nothing, then."

          "I wouldn't say that." Bob said.  "Jack's been working on the Dubin files and checking up on Jaerko.  We're sure Jaerko has been compromised."

          "Well, find out what the hell is going on and get to him." The robed figure turned with a flourish and headed out the door.

          "That could have gone better." Jack said rolling over to Bob's terminal on his uncomfortable wheeled stool.

          "Maybe… but it's true.  We frankly seem to know less about Jaerko's haunts than we did before.  Did you learn anything new?"

          "Not really, but we do know that he had a location in Seattle where he would get the stuff from Dubin.  Our surveillance shows Dubin took the ordinance there and dropped it off.  Jaerko would swing by the next day and pick it up.  If there are any clues, then we should find them at 1501 Chapel," Jack said.  "I've already dispatched a memo."

          "Good thinking," That should get the teams there quicker.  What about Dubin?  Anything new there?"

          "No.  His body was found in his warehouse office with one bullet to the head.  It was efficient.  An assassination," Jack said, "Which is unusual for Eyes Only.  He's not one to play nice, but a straight-up bullet to the back of the head isn't his style."

          "You're right.  He's more the smooth operator.  Get in, get out, and let the bad guys duke it out themselves," Bob agreed.  "It doesn't follow with what we know about Eyes Only's past exploits.  You're saying that this was the work of someone else?"

          "I don't know what to make of it.  I've been poring over the knowledge base we have on him, and none of it makes much sense compared to this latest hack and hit," Jack said.  "It's just not his MO.  He's not one to clean house just for the fun of it, and so efficiently as well."

          "What do you mean?" Bob asked.

          "I mean Dubin's guards never fired a single shot.  Over thirty people, and not a shot fired among the lot of them?  It doesn't make sense."

          "Transgenics." A voice spoke behind them.  "The transgenics in Seattle did it." Bob and Jack turned to face Ames White.  He was standing, with his arms crossed, in a black suit, behind the two brown-robed monks.

          "Good evening, sir," Bob said.  Jack didn't speak.  He turned back to his terminal.

          "I'd be willing to wager that 452 is involved somehow.  I'll get my people on it.  In the meantime, I want you to collect as much data on Seattle, Eyes Only, and the transgenics as you can.  Put it together and send it to me.  I'll expect it waiting for me, when I get to Seattle in two days."

          "Yes, Brother White," the monk said.

          "Good."  White walked over and stood behind Jack.  He stared down at the man working diligently at his terminal.  "What are you working on?"

          "Give me an hour and I'll have your data ready before you leave." Jack said.

          "Very impressive," White stated.  I'll be back in one hour." 

          "Of course you will," Jack said between clenched teeth.  There was something about the small man that rubbed him completely wrong.  It was as if he knew the man standing behind him, but for some reason he was sure this was the first time he had ever spoken directly to him.  "I'll have a CD prepared and waiting for you."

          "You're the acolyte who takes lunch in Terminal Arena on occasion."

          "I'm honored that you recognize me," Jack replied.  He was unable to contain his sarcasm.  There was an edge to his voice, but there was no fear.

          "It is forbidden for monks to be there during training." White declared.  "Terminal Arena is only for the most accomplished soldiers of the caste."

          "I understand.  It won't happen again." Jack said.  White stared at him for a moment longer.  He was impressed with the calm reaction he received.  This one was no stranger to forbidden knowledge.

          "I am impressed with your abilities, so I will let the transgression slide.  You will have that disc ready within the hour?"

          "I will have it prepared before you return, within the hour." Jack answered.  He never once looked away from his monitor.

          "Very good," White said.  He left the lab then, leaving Bob staring at Jack.

          Jack was aware of Bob staring at him.  He waited for five full minutes before he turned to Bob.  "What?"

          "You've got a pair of iron ones, that's for sure." Bob said.  "Do you know who that was?  Obviously you don't have a clue.  That was Ames White.  He's got the ear of the Conclave priestess and the Committee.  He's about the only one around here they confide in.  He could have you killed without a thought.  Hell, he'd probably do it himself if he was pissed off enough."

          "He's welcome to try," Jack mumbled.

          "What?"

          "Nothing.  I've got to get this data together.  I'm going to be busy for a while so if you don't mind…"

          "No.  I don't mind."  Bob looked at Jack for another minute before turning back to his terminal and continuing his own research.  "You need any help?"

          "No."  Jack said.  Bob watched him.  His fingers flew over the keys.  Windows opened and closed, and data transferred at an alarming rate.  It was amazing to watch him work.  It was as if he was a part of the computer, or more likely, the computer was a part of him.

          "Well, let me know if you need anything," Bob said.

          "Thanks, buddy.  I appreciate it, but I've got to make sure this is just right and that dear Brother White gets the information he deserves." Jack replied.  The tone in his whisper actually sent a chill down Bob's spine.

Sector 12 safe house

Soundproof room…

          Jubal Jaerko hung from the ceiling.  Chains attached to the steel cuffs pulled them tight into his wrists.  Blood ran down his arms in small thin streams.  His feet drifted to and fro in a large steel tub of water.  He was not going to survive the week.

          "What… do you, want…" He broke down into a fit of coughing.  "Want from… me?" He gasped.

          "You have told me everything I need to know." a small man said.  He had a devious grin on his face and a hard look in his eyes.  He was enjoying this.

          The door opened and two beautiful women walked in.  They drew the attention of the cruel little man, and together the three of them conversed quietly in the corner.  Jubal Jaerko tried hard to hear what they were saying, but he was having a hard enough time just staying conscious.  Finally the short, gorgeous brunette stepped away from the group and looked at Jaerko.

          "You have told us everything we want to know, but you haven't told us the one thing we need to know" ,"  she said.  "What is the name of the man you give the weapons and supplies to?"

          "I don't… know… his name." Jaerko coughed up blood once or twice and wheezed with each breath.  "His men call him Captain."

          "Captain what?" the brunette demanded.

          "I… don't… know…" he said.  He had lost the ability to hold up his head.

          "Tell me and this will end." She stepped up close to him.  "If you don't, this will continue indefinitely.  The choice is yours." She watched him for a reaction.  He lifted his eyes, his head flopping to the side.

          "Please…" he pleaded.

          "Tell me his name." the brunette demanded.  They stared at each other.  She noticed a change in his eyes.  She knew he was going to spill the information.

          "Parker," he whispered.  "Captain…" he started to say.  Then he died.

          Max stared at him for a long time before turning and heading out into the hall outside the room.  The redhead followed her.  They walked downstairs where a small group was waiting for them.

          Max and Jondy walked up to Biggs and Alec.  Syl and Krit were standing there, and Zane stood in the door, staring into the alley.

          "Did you get the name?" Biggs asked.  Max nodded.

          "I did.  Anyone ever heard of a Captain Parker?" she asked.  No one had.  "I didn't think so.  We have to find out who he is."

          "What about the doctor?" Alec asked.  "What are we going to do about him?"

          Max and Jondy looked at each other for a long moment.  They nodded as if they had been communicating to each other before turning and looking at the group.  Jondy spoke.

          "Clean the site," she ordered.  "We're going to find Captain Parker.  Syl, you're with us." Max was already heading out the door.  Zane watched her as she approached and continued past him.  He wasn't sure whether he should say anything or not until she stopped in front of him.

          "It's getting dark around here, Sis." he said.  She looked outside first before she realized what he meant.  The others had noticed as well.  She turned, looking at each one of them.  Biggs nodded, but she knew that of all of them, he understood the darkness better than the rest.

          "I just want Logan back."  Max stated.  "I'll do whatever it takes."

          "Then so will we," Syl declared.  "Let's go find this Captain Parker." The three women warriors headed out of the safe house and down the alley toward the main road.  "What do we know so far?"

          "We know that Jaerko got the stuff from Dubin and met up with Parker on Fifth St.  There, Parker would set the location to pick up the stuff at a secure location.  Apparently that location is a safe house in sector nine."

          "Do we know where this safe location in sector nine is?" Syl asked.

          "We do, but we don't know what's there." Max answered.  "We'll have to get some recon before we jump right in.  For all we know, it could be some anti-government troops or terrorists…"

          "Or Phalanx," Jondy added.  "We just don't know."

          Max pulled her phone from her pocket when it rang.  "Go for Max," she said.  "Hey, Sebastian.  What have you got for me?" 

          "I've got some good news and some bad news," Sebastian's disembodied mechanical voice said.  "Can you come over, or are you close to your place?"

          "Actually, I'm closer to the penthouse." Max explained.  "I can drop by and link up with you."

          "Do that," Sebastian said.  "And make sure the link is secure."

          "Okay," Max said.  "Any particular reason for this security?  I mean, I'm not one to open an unsecured channel."

          "Just take some extra precautions.  Ames White is back in town."

          "I understand."  I'll contact you in ten minutes." Max disconnected the call.  "Amy's back," she said.

          "White?" Jondy asked.  "That's not good."

          "No kidding.  He's just going to complicate things."  Max answered.  "He always complicates things."

          "Tell me about it," Jondy said. "Do you think I should call Joe?"

          "I wouldn't worry about Joe just yet.  We don't want to throw out any false alarms and bring a revved up biker army into the city for nothing.  Besides, we don't even know why White is in town.  He might just be passing through and checking on progress here."

          "Where exactly would he be going?" Syl asked.  "We know why he's here.  He came for you."

          "Shhh…" Max snickered.  "Don't tell anyone."

          The girls headed into Fogle Towers and rode the elevator to the penthouse.  When Max opened the front door, she immediately noticed the computer was beeping with an incoming message.

          "I told Sebastian that I would contact him when I got here." Max muttered as she headed into the office.  She sat down in front of the terminal and opened the messages folder.  A blinking line flashed in front of her eyes.  

          **_"Message:  I found him.  Wandering Soul"_**

          "Eva…"  Max said.  Jondy and Syl were standing behind her.  "It's from Eva.  She said she found him."

          "She found who?" Jondy asked.

          "Did she find Logan?" Syl asked.

          "Read the message," Jondy commanded.  "Who'd she find?"

Cale Industries

An underground office…

          "Mr. Cale," Skywalker said as he walked up to the desk in the main room.  "This is Lieutenant Morrison.  He's in charge of the Manticore Black Ops forces Max sent over to handle your situation.  I've brought in the recon data on the abandoned military base."

          "Good," Bennett replied.  "Parker Labs moved before we were prepared to defend my base.  I'm not happy about having to take it back by force, but I didn't start this war and I need those research facilities."

          "We're prepared to take the base and hold it for you.  We just have to hammer out some issues first."  Lt. Morrison said.  "It's not that we foresee any problems really, but we _do_ have a situation that doesn't make much sense."

          "What kind of a situation?" Bennett asked.

          "The troops from Parker Labs number less than fifty."  Skywalker stated.  "They are heavily armed and armored, but there are not a lot of them."

          "And you don't think this is a good thing, why?"  Bennett was puzzled.

          "You know as well as I do that the Phalanx has been operating in Seattle for a while now.  I just got a report that a contingent of troops came into the city this afternoon, and that troops moved from a sector we know they are localized in to a point outside the city limits" ," Skywalker explained.

          "The recon shows what exactly?"

          "It shows that a small group of the soldiers from the main cult base in sector 12 reinforced the positions in and around your abandoned base, sir." Lt. Morrison answered.  "Those troops with Parker Labs are Phalanx."

          "Are you sure?" 

          "Yes," Skywalker said.  The Lieutenant nodded.  "We know they are.  We had a tail on them all the way out of the city." 

          "You followed them from the cult base in Sector 12?"  Bennett asked, just as his phone rang.  He raised a finger and grabbed the phone.  "This is Bennett Cale."

          "This is Jondy.  I've got some information for you."

          "Interesting, I've got some information for you as well."   Bennett said.  "You first,"

          "It's about the cult.  We received word today that Ames White is back in town.  He arrived this morning with a convoy of troops that went directly to sector 12.  A couple of squads were seen leaving later and heading outside of city limits."

          "I know," Bennett answered her.  "I'll see your bet and raise the stakes a bit.  Those troops with White are affiliated with Parker Labs.  They've come into town to reinforce Parker's position at the military installation I just purchased."

          "Parker Labs?  Do you know Parker?" Jondy asked.

          "I do.  He's a hard man, but I had no idea that he was with the cult."

          "He may not be.  Does he have a military background?"  

          "Yes.  He was a Marine.  He was CO of a commando/recon group," Bennett explained.  "He ran a mission in the Balkans and then skyrocketed up the ladder before he left the Corps just a few years ago.  He came out and stepped into charge at the labs."

          "What was his rank?" Jondy asked.

          "I don't know, but he was an officer, and very well thought of."

          "Did he make Captain?"

          "I wouldn't be surprised," Bennett commented.  "Why?"

          "I'll have to call you back in ten minutes." Jondy said.  She paused, and then she leaned over to Max and whispered.  "I think I found Captain Parker."  She lifted the phone back to her ears.  "Make that fifteen, 'K?" she asked, just before disconnecting the call.

          "Where is he?" Max demanded.  "And who is he?"

          "Bennett said that a contingent of Phalanx troops took the abandoned base he just purchased.  They are working for Parker Labs." Jondy explained.  "Parker Labs is owned and operated by our Captain Parker.  Bennett said he was big in black ops and had a highly trained team of specialists with Marine Recon back in the day.  He supposedly went deep into the Balkan war and came out on top of the heap with knowledge and capital to start Parker Labs."

          "I'll bet the farm, if I get one, that Parker Labs is connected to Manticore in some way, shape or form" ," Max said.  She turned to the computer and called up some files.  Jondy watched several windows opening and closing as Max scanned numerous files from Logan's watch list.  "Bingo!" she declared after ten minutes of searching.

          "Is it in there?"

          "It is.  Parker Labs.  Founded in May of '16 and headed up by Raymond Parker, formerly Captain Raymond Parker of the United States Marine Corps.  Logan has his military record in here.  He also has some information on his… parents…" Her voice trailed off as she read.

          "What is it?" Syl asked.

          "His mother died in a car crash when he was six.  His father was in the military and overseas at the time." Max said.  "His mother had two miscarriages previous to his birth…"

          "Then he is one of them," Jondy stated.

          "One of…" Syl asked.  "Do you mean the cult?"

          "Yes," Max said.  "They have this weird ritual.  The first two children are aborted and the third child is allowed to live.  The child is taken to a private school at six and put through a test.  If he survives, then he is brought into the cult and his gifts are exploited."

          "That's sick!"  Syl said.  "What do you mean, 'if he survives'?"

          "It's some kind of ritual.  They are infected with a disease or something.  Logan and I were working on figuring out exactly what this ritual birth process is and how it works.  Lydecker had some information on the subject as well."

          "That's just one more reason why we need to find Lydecker."  Jondy stated.

          "Yeah.  So not only do we have to figure out _where_ Lydecker is and _what_ he did to Logan, but now we know that Bennett's main competition is part of this damn cult," Max said, in exasperation.  "Jondy, call Bennett and tell him that we'll get to Parker and bring him to a safe location.  Syl, I want you to take Krit and Zane, and hook up with Eva." 

          "Why?" Jondy asked.  "I was on the phone and didn't pay attention.  I assume that she didn't find Logan."

          "No, she didn't find Logan."  Max replied.  "She found the doctor.  She's got him in St. Louis.  I told her I'd send help to bring him back here.  She said she had some help, but wouldn't give me any more than that.  I can only assume that she found some Manticore soldiers, or at least one."

          "So, she brings the doctor in, and we find out either where Lydecker is or where Logan is." Jondy said.  "That's very good news."

          "Maybe.  Call Bennett and let him know.  Tonight, you and I will find the Captain and make him talk."

          "How are we going to do that?" Jondy asked.

          "Logan is very thorough.  He made some notes on Parker's personal habits here.  It seems he frequented several underground clubs.  He was apparently a proud member of the VIP room in back of one club in particular that specialized in school girls."

          "That's disgusting." Syl made a face.  "Go to Denver, you say?  I'll get Zane and Krit and leave tonight."

          "Guess that's just you and me…" Jondy said.  "We gonna make all the boys ashamed tonight?"

          "No," Max replied.  "We're going to go after one dirty old man in particular, and when we get through with him, he'll wish he never heard of schoolgirls." She laughed.  It was sinister and full of anger.  Jondy shivered, but maintained her composure.

          "Or women in general," Jondy added.  "I'm going to call Bennett."

Gateway Arch

St. Louis, Missouri…

          "I know you," the man said.  The girl pulled on the chain, causing him to wince.  "You're one of them simplified ones.  I haven't seen you since they brought you in with that bullet in the chest."

          "The only reason you can still talk is because Max needs you." the woman said.  "Otherwise, I'd take great pleasure in killing you."

          "You're X5…" He started to say her number, but she grabbed his face in her hand and squeezed his lips together.  He looked like a strange fish.

          "My name is Eva," she said.  "Just Eva." She glared at him.  "Say anything else and I'll enjoy knocking you unconscious on a regular basis." He stared up at her as she smacked his cheek a little harder than necessary, more than once.  She could see the pain in his eyes and laughed.

          "You're going to have to feed me sometime," he said.

          Eva grabbed a hard, greasy rag and shoved it in his mouth.  "Sure I will, but not tonight.  Make any more noise and you're unconscious until morning." He opened his mouth, but she raised one finger and he shut up.

          She walked over to the opposite side of the small area in the top of the Gateway arch.  It appeared the arch had been bombed at some point, as a large chunk of one wall had been torn out, leaving a fantastic view of the Mississippi River and the western skyline.  A makeshift wall had been set up along the near side separating Eva from her captive, and words had been scribbled there.

          Duty…

          Discipline…

          Mission…

          The words burned in her mind.  She had heard them over and over again throughout her childhood.  She hated those words with every fiber of her being.  Looking at the wall, she noticed it was just paneling and 2x4s she could easily tear down, but she didn't.  Somehow it seemed fitting.  This was the high place.  This was sacred ground.  She glanced one last time at the words on the wall and stood to leave.

          "I'm going out," she said.  The greasy little man was staring up at her as she approached.

          "You going to bring food back?" he asked.

          "I might," Eva answered.  "Time for you to go to sleep,"

          "I'm not tired." He smiled at her.

          "Too bad," She hit him hard.  He slumped over, unconscious.  She tied a rope tightly about his neck and looped it in the chains behind him.  If he tried to move when he came to, his own movement would choke him.  She smiled, pleased with her actions, and turned to leave.

          There on the wall above the steps were those three words again.

          Duty…

          Discipline…

          Mission…

          How she hated those three words…


	3. Identity

Here is chapter three of Shadow of the Cat.  Part seven of the Season One Future History.  We find things getting out of control in and around Seattle.  Wandering Soul, an Eyes Only informant finds a key piece of the puzzle, but an unexpected player in the game disrupts things in a most unusual way.  Everything points to something big on the horizon, but unfortunately, with Max and Logan missing, no one knows what it is or could be…

As always to everyone, read, review and above all else, enjoy!

Identity

          Identity…

          That's a concept I'm not familiar with.

          I don't know who I am.

          I did once, I think.  Remember… no, not remember.  I knew once who I was.  I know I did.

          I think I did.

          I look around as I walk down this barren, deserted street.  I see dim lights shining in strange wavy patterns around dark curtains, and I know there are people inside doing things that I don't understand but know how to do.

          I walk alone.  I stand alone.  I do everything alone.

          I don't know why.  I don't know how.  I just don't know.  There is, I think someone who could tell me.  I see her in my dreams at night when I regenerate.  At least I think they are dreams… I don't know for sure.  They could be nightmares.  They could be memories.  They could be dreams.

          Sometimes she's alone.  Sometimes she's with a man.  I don't know either of them but they seem familiar to me.  I lie there at night wondering who they are and how they seem to be the only ones I remember.  I often ask myself if I actually remember them.  I often ask myself if I didn't invent them.

          She's beautiful.  She's more beautiful than I could ever have imagined a woman could be.  I look around day and night as I walk wherever it is I'm going, and I don't see any women as beautiful as the woman in my dreams.  She doesn't always smile.  She doesn't always frown.  The look on her face and in her eyes is always somewhere in between sadness and happiness.  It's as if she alone carries some burden a girl her age was never meant to carry.  Nothing changes the fact that I don't know who she is, though.

          Sometimes there is a man with her.  He is tall and strong, and when they are together, the girl seems to almost be a part of him.  It's unnerving, really.  I can't say that I fully grasp the meaning there.  I guess that's just the way it's meant to be.  When she's alone, she's somewhere not quite peaceful, but when she's with that man… he is an oddity.

          He stands tall behind her, and strong, but now that I think about it, I've never noticed his legs.  I can't remember anything below his stomach.  I admit I've never really looked, but I notice these things.  It's as if he is floating around her, not actually real but not really actual…

          That doesn't make sense, I know.  Nothing makes much sense right now.  I know I am connected in some way.  Good or bad, there is a connection.  Somehow, they are a part of my non-existent life.  Somehow, I'm going to find the angel of my nights and her man, and then I will have the answers I seek.

          Somehow…

          Somewhere…

          I'm not sure when it began.  Well, that is actually a lie.  Not that I am into deception as a rule.  I use it because I know how.  It's all a part of the mystery.  I know exactly when it began.  I remember right down to the second when I awoke.

          Can I call it that?  Can I actually say I awoke, that I awakened?

          I have no other response.  I awoke.  Yes.  That is exactly what happened.  I was asleep and then I was awake.

          _It was _November 16, 2021___.  It was a Tuesday.  It was _5:06.43 p.m.____

_          It was black.  There wasn't the slightest bit of light and I only realized why when I tried to move.  I was secured inside of a box.  That was the weirdest part.  I was confined in a box.  It wasn't hard to get out of.  I had the strength to do it.  When I stood there naked, staring down at the box, it seemed to me that the Styrofoam had been fitted to my form.  There were tubes attached to my arms and my nose.  I recognized the tube in my nose as pumping pure oxygen.  The tubes were from some bag marked in medical terms that I didn't care about.  I pulled the tubes from my nose and arms, and looked around._

_          I was in some sort of warehouse.  The crate I had been in seemed to be the only one like mine, but I wasn't going to stick around to find out.  I could hear people moving around.  Step by step as they walked.  That had been the first time I realized that I had knowledge of certain things.  I knew they were guards._

_          I also knew I needed to get some clothes.  That turned out to be easier than I thought.  One of the guards was heading toward a room by himself.  I followed after him and surprised him by a locker.  He was holding non-uniform style clothing, blue jeans and a shirt.  There was also a brown leather jacket._

_          Getting out was just as easy.  I move fast.  I move remarkably fast.  One minute I was standing behind a set of high shelves packed with boxes, and the next I was standing fifty yards away.  It took less than five seconds to traverse that distance.  3.3 to be exact._

_          Who moves that fast?_

_          I do._

          That had been just a few days ago.  It was a long couple of days.  Now I'm walking along the street wondering what this feeing is in my stomach and trying to figure out who I am.  

          I don't know how long I walked around that area.  There were a lot of people standing around, obviously living on the streets.  The city was a mess.  Somehow, I knew it had been this way for a long time.  I'm not sure how I knew that, but I did know it.

          I had wandered for a long time, just taking in everything I could and trying hard to remember even the slightest things.  I had followed a well-traveled path to the edge of a river.  It was the Mississippi.  I'm not sure if I was just remembering facts I had known before or if this was all a part of something from my past, like maybe I had lived here once.

          Looking around, I could see a hoverdrone approaching from the east, and several boats full of people, tied along the shore.  South of my position was a giant silver arch, now tarnished and missing several large pieces of steel around the lowest points.  It became obvious as I approached that the panels had been used to build the small shantytown near the base that led into an underground passage below.

          Armed guards were blocking the passage.  They eyed me suspiciously as I passed, but I knew even with the weapons… they were no match for me.

          I walked up along the broken chunks of pavement beneath the arch, across what used to be a commons area and small urban park.  The arch towered over my head, and I felt a sudden, irresistible urge to climb to the top.  Looking around and seeing no one watching closely, I headed into the superstructure and started the long climb to the top.

          The stairs were rusty and creaked, but they still held strong.  Panels had been removed or had just wasted away, so small pockets of light were trickling in.  I had realized early on that I could see in the dark, so it wasn't a problem for me.

          I didn't care how much time had passed, but when I reached the top, I did feel just a bit winded, so I stopped and sat down for a while, and looked out through a rusty hole over the city across the river.  It was peaceful here in the high place…

          The high place.  That's exactly where I was.  I had come to the high place before, only it was a different high place.  I remember there were several of us up there that night.  We were collecting teeth on an old tray.  It was funny, but Jace had smuggled a candle into the barracks.  She said it smelled nice, and she would often sit on her bunk late at night, and just hold it in her lap and breathe in its flavor.  I remember when she gave it to me.  The night Krit's tooth had fallen out; we had taken him to the high place up on the roof above the barracks.  I remembered the look on his face.  Ben had taken each one of us up there when we lost a tooth.  It was an initiation of sorts.  I remember because the young one, Krit he called himself, had just lost his first tooth about a week after Max had.  He had that goofy grin we all had when Ben dragged us up there to offer our teeth to the blue lady.

          The high place.  It was all we had.  Krit… Max… Ben.  We had the high place, but only Ben could talk to the blue lady.  Why would I remember that?  What did it mean?  Who were Krit, Max, and Ben?  I know there were others up there with us.  I know we were all a part of the same group, but who the hell were they and why do I remember them?

          Why can't I remember myself?

          A noise reaches me from the main chamber and I'm immediately on my feet, heading into the small upper room at the top of the arch.  I can hear groaning as I approach a wall.  'Duty', 'discipline' and 'mission' are spray-painted on it.  A glance out to my right shows the same view I was staring at earlier, and as I move around the side, I see a man chained in a very uncomfortable position.

          He looks familiar to me.

          "X5-599?"  He seems as startled to see me as I am to see him.  "I thought you were dead?"

          "Dead?"  I ask.  "I'm not dead.  Who are you and what is an X5-599?"

          "You are.  Your designation is X5-599.  You're a Manticore soldier," he says.  Something changes in his eyes.  I pick up on the subtle change for some reason.  "I saved your life.  You have to help me."

          "What are you talking about?"  I ask.  I get another flash of something.  A man screaming, "RUN!"  I was in a wooded area and just before I became a part of the forest, he was shot.  I recognize him now.  "You're the doctor who gave me the drugs, and then helped me escape."

          "Yes," he says.  The look on his face is one of worry mixed with hope.  "I helped you escape that night so you could be free."

          "They shot you.  I watched you die."

          "Manticore has ways of bringing you back from the edge.  They didn't allow me to die."

          "How did you escape?"  I demand.  "If this thing took you back… how did you get away?"

          "What thing?"  The doctor asks.  "You mean Manticore?  Manticore is a covert genetics lab that bred super-soldiers.  You are one of those soldiers.  Manticore is gone."

          "Gone?"  I don't know why, but for some reason I'm relieved.

          "You don't know, do you?"  He asks me.  "It was 452.  X5-452 was recaptured and brought back to Manticore.  They had started her retraining, but it wasn't working.  She was resisting everything.  Then He came after her."

          "Who?"  I ask.  There is another flash suddenly.  Grey eyes framed above a beautiful young woman.  I can feel something building inside of me.  It's as if there is something pushing me.  I know it has something to do with those eyes.  Manticore doesn't matter, just those damned eyes.

          "Eyes Only."  The Doctor says.  "Somehow, he got into the facility south of Seattle and brought the whole thing down.  No one knows how he did it, but they know it was him.  He ran a series of hacks, including one just a few days after the incident in which he claimed to be the sole person responsible."

          "How can that be?"  I ask.  I want answers.

          "Get me out of here and I'll tell you everything including where to find Eyes Only."  The small man says.  I look down at him.

          "Why should I?"

          "I saved your life.  I gave you freedom from that place."  The Doctor

 says.  "Help me and I will help you."

          "How could one man take down an entire operation training super-soldiers?  That's not possible."  I know a few things about fighting.  I'm fast and strong.  I understand the concept of super-soldiers.  I am one, according to this Doctor.

          "Get me out of here."  The Doc says.  "I'll tell you what I know."

          "I know you'll tell me before I cut you loose."  I say to him.  "I've got no problems leaving you here for whoever chained you to the wall like that."

          "I don't know how he did what he did.  I just know that he got into the facility somehow and used his programming skills against us."  The man squirms in his bonds.  "The Director took 452 to him, which was a mistake.  They had some kind of relationship.  As soon as the Director left the room, Eyes Only took control of everything and set to destroying the place.  The Director never made it out of there."

          "How is that possible?"  I need to know.  "What about the soldiers?"

          "Eyes Only ran a hack.  When the committee found out about the hack, they ordered the site cauterized and the project dismantled.  The only problem was Eyes Only.  He was already in the system.  He locked down most of the techs and scientists and sealed them into their offices and released all of the soldiers."

          "And?"

          "I don't know anymore than that.  You'll have to ask the Colonel if you want more information."

          "Where can I find this Colonel?"  I reach down and pull him up by his throat.  "Tell me where he is."

          "I don't know where he is.  After we administered the nanocytes to 452's boyfriend, the Colonel and I split up.  He never made it to the rendezvous.  I haven't seen him for weeks."

          I want to twist his head off.  I want him to suffer, but he saved my life.  I have no choice; I have to let him go.  Making short work of the chains, I have him loose, and together we head down the far side of the arch from where I climbed up.

          "Where are we going?"

          "There's a no-tell motel I've been staying in.  It's on the south side of the city.  I'm going to get my stuff and continue on my way to the Gulf.  I can charter a ride there and get to Cuba.  Won't take long for me to get out of this hemisphere after that," the Doctor explains.

          "What about me?"  I grab him and pull him up off the step with one arm.  "You're going to tell me everything."

          "I am.  We'll talk on the way," He says.

          Two hours and a long walk later, he's packing his things into a bag and getting ready to leave.  The place is noisy and dirty.  This Doctor seems to fit right in.

          "Colonel Lydecker and I were supposed to meet here in town.  He never showed up so I waited for a week.  That week is up and I'm leaving."

          "What about the girl?"  He had told me about the Manticore soldier who had chained him to the wall.  He said she had planned on taking him to 452 in Seattle.

          "She's going to be very pissed that I'm gone.  She was going to take me back to 452 and Eyes Only," he replied.  "She's not going to be happy about losing me."

          "And you're the only one who knows exactly what happened to 452's boyfriend?"  I ask.

          "Colonel Lydecker knows.  He was the one who programmed the nanocytes.  I would imagine it's a moot point now though.  The guy is most likely dead.  He wasn't a soldier.  It wouldn't have been easy for him to survive inside the conclave."

          "And this cult… they're the reason Manticore existed."

          "Not at first, but later, yes," he explains.  "From the first moment we learned about them, we started to structure the project toward that goal."

          "Eradication of the cult…"  I'm beginning to understand.

          "We had no choice.  They intend to take over the world.  They intend to exterminate any who are not like them.  They want the planet for themselves.  We have to stop them, but thanks to Eyes Only, that may not be possible anymore."  

          "Why?"

          "The Colonel knows where only a handful of the soldiers are.  They are centered in Seattle, but they are not large enough in number to do anything about it.  We need to find most of them if we want to stop the cult from conquering the world," the Doctor says.

          "How do we find them?"

          "We don't.  You can try if you want.  452 might know.  In all honesty, though, the soldiers themselves are the only ones who actually know."

          "Where is this conclave?  Where is the cult headquartered?"

          "The cult doesn't have a headquarters, but the conclave itself is in North Carolina," he says just before he ducks out the door and disappears into the night.

          So I was a super-soldier for Project Manticore.  I have to admit that I don't fully understand what that means, but it does explain some of my apparent abilities.  I apparently owe my freedom to the Doctor as well.  What bugs me is that another of the soldiers, one like me, had him strapped up in the Gateway Arch and was waiting to deliver him to someone.

          That doesn't sit well with me.  I need to find this super-soldier and make her understand the error of her ways.  My only problem is, I don't know where to start looking for her, and that feeling in my stomach is getting worse.  I'm going to have to find my way back to the arch and wait there.  Maybe the soldier can tell me what's wrong with my stomach.

          The trek back across town is an easy one.  The hoverdrones don't seem to care that I exist and the waterfront is surprisingly lacking in checkpoints.  I make my way back to the river.  I will hike north on the river bank until I find my way back to the arch.

          At least, that's the plan…

          Plans change.

          "Hey."  Someone shouts.  They aren't shouting at me so I keep walking.  "Hey babe!  What say you and I go rock this world somewhere private?"

          "Leave me alone," a woman answers.

          "I don't think you understand," the man says.  "You better play nice."

          "Play nice?  Is that a threat?"  The woman asks.  I can't help it.  I have no choice in the matter.  My curiosity gets the better of me and I turn to watch.  Five men are moving on her position.  Judging by their attitude, I can see they have control.  This is their territory.

          A quick assessment later, I have devised my plan.  If they were attacking me, I would go for the tall one first.  He has a strange twitch in his stride that points to weakness.  The two shorter, chubby ones look tough, but that one jiggles just a bit too much and would crumble with one punch.  His buddy, stockier but less adept at fighting, pulls a weapon.  He holds it in a way that would allow me to stab him with it at least a dozen times before he could loosen his grip.

          The remaining two men, one older and one younger seem to think they have the upper hand.  I watch, mesmerized by the woman's movements.  So subtle and perfect she is that I can't help thinking about cats.  Her foot barely moves, but the effect is devastating.  She smiles, wide and flirty, but the look in her eyes is one of complete control.  These men don't stand a chance.

          "I'll give you one chance."  Her smile widens.  "Turn around and find some one else to play with or fall where you stand."

          "You can't be serious," one of them sneers.  The stocky one flips out his tactical blade and moves into an attack posture.  The tall one laughs as he heads off to her left and the chubby one goes to her right.  "There are five of us."

          "Wow, you can count.  I didn't expect that."  The woman laughs.  "Are you sure you really want to do this?"

          "You gonna play nice?"  The first man asks.

          "No," she snickers.

          "Then we have to do this."  He smiles, baring mostly gold and silver teeth.

          "Your loss," she says.  It's over before any of them can react.  She jumps once at the leader and his buddy.  They go down hard, unconscious, their bodies sprawling in opposite directions from a scissor kick to their respective heads.  The woman drops into a crouch and jumps at the tall guy.  She moves so fast I can barely track her movements.  They can only see a blur in front of them as she moves through their panicked semi-circle.

          I catch movement out of the corner of my eye.  Over in the doorway, where the first guy had been waiting, three more young men come out.  They have guns and one is aiming at the woman.  I glance back at her to notice she's disarming blade boy before turning on chubs.  He has other plans, however, and is already turning to leave.

          It's interesting, if unfulfilling, to watch, but she is moving fast… as fast as me.  That alone tells me I need to get to know this woman and find out who she is.  Maybe figure out who I am.

          I glance over to see that she has noticed the gunmen as well, but I am already moving.  They never see me coming, but she does.  As I turn among the three men, I notice she has stopped dead in her tracks and is watching me.  The one that was aiming at her drops first from a broken neck.  The other two fall next from similar wounds.  I am standing with all three weapons in my hands when she runs up to me.

          "Zack,"  she says.  "Is it really you?"

          I can't help it.  I just stare at her.  She stares back, waiting for a response.

          "Zack?"  She speaks the name again.  My heads tilts to the side and she tilts her head with mine.  "Don't you know who I am?"

          "Who are you?"  I ask her.  "How do you know me?"

          "Max and Logan showed me your picture.  I, we thought you were dead.  Max said you…"

          "Who am I?"  I ask.

          "You're Zack.  You really don't know who you are?"  She asks me.  Her hand comes up and gently touches my face.  It feels good.  I don't understand the feeling.  "What did they do to you?"

          "Who did what to me?  What are you talking about?"  I demand.  "My designation is X5-599."

          "Zack.  I know your number.  I have one, too, but you have to trust me.  What just happened here isn't something we can deal with.  I know why there is a barcode on the back of your neck and I'll explain everything to you, but we have to get out of here.  Please, trust me," she pleads.  When she pulls my arm, I don't resist.  For some reason, I can't.

          Half an hour later, I find myself in an abandoned warehouse.  She introduces herself to me while we walk.  She says her name is Eva, and in a strange way, it sounds familiar to me.  She turns around and shows me the back of her neck.  She has a barcode there.

          "You have one, too."  She smiles.  She pulls me toward a dirty, broken mirror.  She pulls something out of her pocket and holds it up behind my neck at the perfect angle for me to see I had one as well.  "See."

          "I don't know what it means," I say.

          "It means you are special.  We all have one, 599 is your barcode.  Mine is 101, but we don't use designations out here in the street.  We use our names.  My name is Eva.  Your name is Zack."

          "We?"  I ask her what 'we' means.

          "It means that we are Children of Manticore, but you are more special even than that.  You're a Rogue.  You escaped Manticore many years ago and lived out in the world.  Does any of this ring a bell?"

          "Not really," and it doesn't.  "But… the Doctor… something is familiar somehow."

          "Like what?"  She asks.

          "Your name," I look into her eyes.  "I seem to have a reference for it, although I don't know what it means."

          "I was there the night you escaped.  Twelve of you.  I was going to go with you, but Colonel Lydecker shot me.  I don't remember much after that.  Not much but the pain," Eva says.

          "Who are the Rogues?"  I don't know the term.

          "You're a Rogue.  Tinga, Ben, Brin, Syl, Krit and Jondy escaped that night.  Max, Zane, Kalyn, Rik and Kai went over the wire as well.  Seth made it out later, but I didn't know about it until long after when they put me through retraining.

          "Max…"  The name is familiar to me.  So was the name she had said with it, but the name grates on my nerves.  "You mentioned that name before."

          "Max and Logan...  You knew them.  Max told me how you looked out for all of the escapees.  She said you used to watch over them, that you used to make rounds as if you were traveling here and there to keep an eye on them."

          "I did?"  I certainly don't remember it.  "Is Logan one of us?"

          "No.  He's, umh, he's with Max.  Those two are pretty inseparable."  Eva says.  "At least they were until the Colonel got his hands on the man.  Now Logan is missing and Max has been looking for both of them ever since.  I found the Doctor though."

          "What Doctor?"

          "The Doctor who administered the treatments for Logan's spinal injury; I've got him strapped up in the high place."  I swallow hard when she mentions the high place.  I know she sees it.  "He's not going anywhere, but Syl, Krit, and Zane are on their way to pick him up and take him back to Seattle, so Max and Jondy can interrogate him.  We need to find out what happened to Logan."

          "Why?"  I ask.  The name is beginning to annoy me.  I just don't have a good feeling about this guy for some reason.  "Why is he so important?"

          "He's Logan.  He belongs to Max, and Max belongs to him.  They've done many great things together, but since his disappearance a few months back, things have deteriorated rapidly, especially in and around Seattle."

          "So this Logan guy is the reason Seattle was stable?"

          "No.  But Logan was the only one that was in a position to do something about it."  Eva tells me.  "He had the resources and the connections to do the right thing, and even though his approach was unorthodox, he always did the right thing."

          "What do you mean?"  I ask.  Eva stares at me with a look on her face I can't place.  She doesn't seem sure that she is doing the right thing.

          "I can't explain everything to you because I don't know everything.  What I do know is that there was a reason for Manticore.  We were all created for a reason, but somewhere along the way, that reason got twisted, and in the end, they tried to kill all of us."

          "Who?"  I look around as we walk, realizing that we are heading directly for the arch.  It's looming in the darkness above us, disappearing into the clouds of an approaching storm.  I'll have to tell her soon what I had done.

          "No one really knows, but there is a cult that has been around for thousands of years.  They have been working for a long time to try and gain control of this world.  They are very close to succeeding, and they almost killed Logan just about a month ago.  It got out of hand, but they went after him personally," Eva explains.  I am about to ask her why he was so important, but she seems to sense my question.  "I don't know why he was important to them, but I was working for a man at the time, he had it in for Logan in a real bad way.  It turned out they were enemies from back in the day, and it all came to a head on my watch.  All I know is that a lot of people want him dead.  Most will stop at nothing to take him out of the picture."

          "How does Max fit into all of this?"  I have to ask.  There is a nagging feeling in the back of my mind, and I realize that I know more about Max and Logan than I had at first realized.  "Is it because she's with Logan?"

          "She at the top of the cult's hit list."  Eva says.  "She and Logan are both up there.  Right at the top, with everything else they want removed from this planet pulling a close second."

          "And you've seen this cult thing…" I admit, I have no reference to it.  "I mean, you know they are real and they are…"

          "Trying to conquer the world," she says.  "They've been working toward that goal since ancient days."

          "Who else knows about this?"  I ask.  "What do you mean, ancient days?"

          "The cult is thousands of years old.  Max can give you more detail and show you proof.  I don't deal with that.  I'm on the case for Eyes Only."  Eva says.

          "Eyes Only?"  I know the name.  It causes a strange feeling in the back of my mind, which cycles over the top of my head and into my frontal lobe.  It's like a dull throbbing thump behind my right eye.  "You work for Eyes Only?"

          "I don't work _for_ him, but I _am_ a member of The Informant Net," she explains to me.  "The cult is the reason we need to worry.  They have power.  Power I can't even begin to explain to you.  Only Max and Logan understand their reach."

          "Who all knows about this cult?"

          "Just us," she says.  "The transgenics and Colonel Lydecker, wherever he is know about it.  Max and Logan, and a small handful of others know of it existence."

          "They're the resistance?"

          "If you want to call it that…. though I wouldn't expect you to believe it.  Look, I'm glad you're here.  We have to go up there," she says, pointing to the top of the arch.  "I've got the Doctor up there.  Syl, Krit, and Zane are coming into town to take him back to Seattle to answer to Max for what happened to Logan."

          "Yeah, about the doctor," I said.  The time has come.  "I sort of let him go."

          "You what?"  Eva spins on me with a look in her eyes.  "When did you do this?"

          "About two hours ago, but I know where he is."  I explain.  "If we hurry, we can still catch him."

Seattle

Alec's Apartment.

          "What'cha got there?"  Alec asked.  Biggs looked up and smiled.

          "Heckler and Koch, 9mm," he said.  "What about you?"

          "Found another Makarov," Alec said.  "I ran out of bullets for that old Ruger.  The Eagle is still back at my place.  Just couldn't bring myself to get rid of it.  I liked the power."

          "I never liked the Eagle.  It's too noisy."  Biggs said.  "You ready?"

          "Too noisy…" Alec cocked his head and laughed.  "It's a gun."  He said.

          "Give me a nice .357 and I'm happy."  Biggs laughed.

          "What's that about noisy?"  Alec asked.  "Why don't you hunt up one of those .44 automags while you're at it?  Ya never know when you'll have to shoot someone through steel plating."

          "Shut up.  You Ready?"  Biggs dropped the subject.

          "Yeah.  Let's do this."  Alec smiled.  He turned and headed out the door with Biggs in the lead.  They were heading over to Sector Six to hook up with Brin.  The three of them were going to do some recon in two sectors and try to find out how the Phalanx were getting troops into the city.  They knew it had something to do with Parker Industries, but what that was exactly remained an unknown.

          "You know, Brin's going to be pissed."  Biggs said with a glance to his watch.  "She will be expecting us in about ten minutes.  There's no way we'll make it."

          "This isn't Manticore.  We're not on base."  Alec said.  "She can deal with it."

          Twenty minutes and an encounter with a confused drunk later, Alec and Biggs were heading into the former operational headquarters of the man they all referred to as Captain Cowardly.  Sector cops had never seen them coming.  Brin was standing at a large table perusing several different sector maps with her 2IC and tapping her fingers on a small silenced revolver lying on the table.

          "I just talked to Jondy.  She's been looking for Max, but no one seems to know where she is."  Brin said.  "You're late."

          "Yes."  Biggs acknowledged.  "So if Max isn't at her usual haunts then where is she?"

          "She's probably up on the space needle.  You know… 'The high place' or whatever the rogues called it."  Alec said.  He rolled his eyes.  Brin shot him a glare, but he ignored it.

          "Jondy called from there.  She said OC thought she saw movement in the shadows, but couldn't be sure.  She said OC felt something, but Jondy could see and hear nothing."  Brin explained.  "I know Max is good, but she's not that good."

          "Or Jondy isn't all that she can be."  Alec added.  "Look, whatever it is I'm sure, no… scratch that, I know that Max can take care of herself.  She's probably just taking a long ride on the Ninja.  She's been pretty stressed lately.  She needs to unwind.  Damn girl is wrapped so tight it's ridiculous."  Alec mumbled the last sentence.

          "Well, whatever the situation.  I've been in contact with Skywalker over at Cale Industries.  The situation is going as well as can be expected.  Unfortunately for the Phalanx, Cale Industries is primarily guarded by Manticore soldiers at this point."

          "Why is that unfortunate for the Phalanx?"  Biggs asked.

          "They've been sending infiltration units into Cale Industries main compound.  Skywalker's people are all over it.  No one has got through, but there were two attempts this week alone and it's only Wednesday."  Brin said.  "We're stepping up the operation before the Phalanx is at full force.  I'm expecting Suede at any moment with some new information that might be vital to our position here in Seattle."

          "What about the situation with Lydecker?"  Biggs asked.  "Any word on his whereabouts, and if not, what about the doctor, anyone find either of them?"

          "No real information there, but Jondy said that Syl, Krit and Zane went out two nights ago to meet with an Eyes Only informant in the mid-west somewhere.  The informant has a lead, but there is no data there yet."  Brin said.

          "So what are we waiting for?"  Alec asked.  "Let's get this crap over with.  I've got a hot date tonight."

          "Trixi is not a hot date.  She's a dancer, and she only likes you because you give her money."  Biggs laughed.  "And only when you show up at the club."  Brin snickered.

          "Hey.  I'll have you know that Trixi is a very wholesome girl."  Alec argued as Biggs walked toward the front door of the old warehouse with him.  Brin turned to her 2IC.

          "Full alert until I get back.  No one in or out without proper clearance.  Make sure the runners hook up with CeCe over at the main barracks, and get team five in the field just in case we need back up.  You know what to do with Suede's information when he shows.  Fill him in so his people can plan accordingly and I'll go over everything with you when we get back."  She turned without saluting and headed for the door to catch up to Alec and Biggs.

Sector twelve

White's HQ…

          "Do you realize what kind of a fool that statement makes you sound like?"  Suede asked the smallish man pointing the gun at him.  He couldn't help laughing.

          "Look.  I don't want you to get the wrong impression here, but I have the gun.  You don't."  The would-be thief said.  "Here's how this is going to play out.  You're going to give me your money and I'm not going to shoot you."  The little man said.

          Suede laughed.

          "What are you laughing at?"  The gunman demanded.

          Suede laughed louder.  The gunman pointed the weapon toward Suede's head.  "I'll shoot you."  He said.  

          Suede stopped laughing.  He moved fast, dodging the weapon arc and coming in from the side of the mugger.  The last thing the little man remembered was slamming into the large brick wall with a force that could only cause him pain.  Suede stood over the smaller man's body to make sure he was still breathing before he headed on to his real reason for being outside of the Phalanx headquarters.

          It surprised him to note no soldiers were on patrol outside of the building, but when he stumbled past the main entrance of the perimeter fence acting like a lost drunk, he noticed cameras and three guards near the front doors.  His staggering path took him around the corner of the mini-compound and along a very deserted alley toward the back of the main building.  Two more guards were out there eyeing him suspiciously, but mostly unconcerned with the presence of a drunk.

          Suede stumbled, fell and rolled up against a wall and sat there for a few minutes to see if anyone would come out after him.  When no one did, he crawled a few feet before shakily regaining his footing and heading down the road away from the building.  When he was clear, he picked up to a soldier's pace and ran around a few buildings until he found a high warehouse roof where he could maintain decent surveillance.

          As he headed out onto the rooftop, he noticed a small group of Military Hummers escorting a jeep into the immediate area.  He hyper-focused on the lead vehicle and could make out two men and a woman.  One was a tall dark haired soldier and the other was very short.  He knew who the short man was.  The woman in the back seat was an Amazon with flaming red hair.

          The small caravan of military vehicles headed directly for the building Suede had recently cased.  He needed a closer look and the building next to the one he was on would take him closer to the action outside the building.  It was a risk, but a necessary one.  He gauged the distance between buildings and made the jump easily, dropping upon landing and rolling to a crouch.  He stayed low, moving to the edge of the building and peering into the dimly lit scene below.

          The redhead was giving orders to some of the men in the hummers.  There were at least a dozen men, heavily armed and wearing body armor.  They moved around as ordered to secure the area.  Suede recognized the patterns.  He had secured a few perimeters in his day.  It might not be as easy to get out as it was to get in.  He needed to get closer to the conversation outside the main gate.

          Three minutes later, Suede stood in the shadows of a second floor window.  He could hear the small man and the redhead discussing the matter at hand.

          "The transgenics are here."  The small man said.  Suede verified his identity.  He was sure it was Ames White.  He had been the one behind the whole takeover of Cale Industries, trying to use Lempkin as his patsy.

          "My men report nothing in the immediate area."  The Redhead said.

          "Well, keep looking.  They are specialists, trained from birth to be spies and assassins.  You would be wise to realize and remember that."  White said.

          "We've been training for seven thousand years.  Our techniques are sound.  I don't care if the traitor created these things, Brother White."  She said.  "We can and will defeat them beyond a doubt."

          "I survived Terminal Arena the same as you."  White said.  "I've been in the field for a while now and I have been tracking these things for over a year.  You WILL accept my knowledge in this when I tell you not to underestimate these abominations."

          "You may have survived Terminal Arena.  You may be in charge, but when it comes to the fight, there is none better than me."

          "What about your brother, Thula?"  White asked.  "He was the best.  I was there when he walked over a hundred of our finest in Terminal Arena without breaking a sweat.  Then he turned and jumped into the pits."

          "It was a loss."  Thula said.  "He gave up a glorious career."

          "He leads the rebels."  White announced.  Thula's jaw dropped.  "And they have pledged their support to the transgenics in the coming war."

          "He's alive?"  Thula asked.  "How is that possible?"

          "There is a way out of the pits."  White explained.  "We've sent people in to try and find it, but none have ever returned.  We don't know where it is or how they get out."

          "What about infrared..."  Thula started to ask, but Suede had heard enough.  It was time to go back and make his report.  He was through the building and onto the street in a matter of seconds.  There were two guards marching out of the alley on the far side of the building when Suede exited.  He followed behind them sticking to the shadows.

          When he reached the road at the end of the alley, the guards could clearly be seen heading around the building back toward their HQ.  A quick glance behind him confirmed his suspicions.  Another set of guards marching the perimeter were entering the alley.  He had no choice.  He had to move.

          Hugging to the side of the building, Suede stalked the edge of the light until he found a door.  It was locked.  Again, with no real choice, he had to continue on.  The first set of guards had turned the corner.  It was a risk, but he had run out of options.  He phased, moving faster than humanly possible, to the other side of the street and charging for the alley.  He heard the clang of weapons against armor before he heard the shout.

          "Freeze," Someone shouted from behind him.  "Call for backup."

          Suede didn't stick around to listen.  He launched himself down the alley at full speed.  He didn't look back but he could hear them in the distance.  They were slower, but still fast enough to maintain a good chase.  Suede smiled.  He would give them.

          "This is unit four.  We've got an intruder in section 6 heading for the waterfront."  The soldier shouted into his mic.  "Moving very fast," He said.  "It's a transgenic!"

          Suede reached the corner, ducking around the edge of the building, stopping and backing up against the wall.  Seconds later, the men came around the edge of the building and Suede made his move.  He was on the second one instantly.  In a flurry of motion, the man was dead on the ground.  His neck had been broken.  Suede moved on the first guard as he turned and fired his weapon without hesitation, forcing Suede to dodge several bullets.  The big, dark man remained out of the line of fire though, and easily knocked the weapon from the guards grip.

          "So the worthless creature wants to play?"  The guard taunted Suede.  Suede punched him, sending the Phalanx soldier reeling back a few steps, but not taking him down.  "Transgenic garbage!"  The guard shouted as he reset his footing and launched at the big man.  Side-stepping the assault, Suede caught the man's head in his strong arms.  He pulled down, then up and to the side, smiling when he heard the bone give in his grasp.  He dropped the body and reached for the weapon as bullets ripped across the ground near his feet.

          "Take him alive."  Thula shouted.  White was plainly visible standing beside her, barely coming up to her shoulders.  Suede lifted himself, holding the Phalanx weapon in his hands.  He glanced toward the water several feet away before he heard the footsteps coming up behind him.  The wall of the building was on his right side, the Phalanx was in front of him and behind and he had black, murky water on his left.

          "You're trapped."  White shouted.  "You have no where to go."

          Suede smiled.  He was prepared for a fight.


	4. Falling Down

Falling Down

          The day had started like any other day.  The sun came up, although it was hidden above the clouds.  Those clouds carried a horrible storm into the city, drenching Seattle in dark grey tones and bleak, oppressive shadow.  Max stared out over the city through the window she had broken so long ago.  Her thoughts drifted.  She remembered the night she first met Logan.

          _"You're a thief?"  He had asked.  She could honestly not remember a time when anyone had been so relieved to find out they were being robbed._

_          "Girl's gotta make a living."  She smiled._

_          "Thank God," __Logan__ said.  She snickered.  Again, she realized something… she realized she had never laughed, legitimately laughed, while someone pointed a gun at her.  She knew then he would never allow harm to come to her.  It was a strange feeling._

_          "Never heard that one before," she replies.  He had smiled then, well, it was almost a smile, but he was obviously relieved.  _

_          "Things are a little tense around here right now," he explained._

_          "Guess you weren't expecting the pizza delivery guy…" she quipped.  He glanced down at the bag.  She had more than ample opportunity to get to him, but for some reason, she knew she was in no danger.  She got that vibe from him.  It was like he had been waiting for her to show up.  When she did, something had fallen into place for both of them._

_          "You have good taste," he commented.  "French, 1920s, attributed to Chitaris,"_

_          "Whoever that is…"  She smirked._

_          "Oh… what?  You liked it because it was shiny?"  He challenged her.  She knew he was doing so, and in that challenge, she realized he didn't fear her as much as he should.  She knew right then and there something was different about this man.  This seemingly ordinary guy was no longer concerned with his weapon and only concerned with the woman in front of him.  He had turned on the charm and wit, and damned if she didn't like the feeling that had suddenly washed over her.  She chose to play the game_

_          "NO.  Because it's the Egyptian Goddess Bast, the goddess who comprehends all goddesses, Eyes of Ra, protector, avenger, destroyer of life who lives forever…"_

          Then security came, and she jumped out of this window.  The same window she was now leaning her head on, letting the rain running down the smooth window be her tears.  The front door opened, and she thought again about security even though she knew it was Jondy.

          Max didn't move, just listened to her sister walk through the apartment and stop a few feet away from her.

          "Max," Jondy said.  She waited for Max to respond, but there were no more words.  "Listen, we've got the information we were waiting for.  Biggs and Alec are verifying it right now.  We expect to hear from them in about three or four hours."  Jondy paused, waiting.  Still, Max said nothing so she continued.  "Skywalker says they have put together a plan and Bennett has OK'd it.  Brin has committed her platoon to the operation.  That's 115 ex-Manticore black ops and 65 X-soldiers.  Brin has deferred to Bennett and Skywalker on lead for the mission…"

          "What if we had stayed?"  Max interrupted.

          "What do you mean?"  Jondy asked.  "Stayed at Manticore?"

          "I've thought about it a lot lately.  I know certain things would have happened differently.  I know this for a fact.  Logan would be dead.  Bruno would have blown up his hospital room because I wouldn't have been there to save him.  I would never have known him.  I would never have met him, so he would never have meant anything to me.  We would be the soldiers we were meant to be.  Tinga would be alive.  Ben would be alive.  Zack… well he'd just be Zack, but he'd still be our CO and we would be happy, brainwashed, but happy," Max said.

          "You wouldn't want that.  You couldn't have handled that.  None of us could have, Jondy replied.

          "How do you know?  WE wouldn't have escaped.  Manticore wouldn't have retrained or _simplified us.  There would have been no need."_

          "Do you really believe your life would have been better?"  Jondy asked, walking up behind Max and putting her hand on her sister's shoulder.

          "I don't know, but a good man like Logan…"

          "You know what I see?  I see you wallowing in self-pity because Logan was able to rescue you, but you can't rescue Logan."  Jondy said.  Max turned fast and faced Jondy.  The look in her eyes frightened the redhead.  She had never seen such an black emptiness in her life.  It was as if everything that had been was still there, but none of it held meaning.

          "And what if I am?  He's a great man and because of my screwed-up life, he's stuck in some hell I can't even fathom.  He willingly took my demons away from me and put them on himself to protect me, but I don't even know where to look to take his away.  Everything I do is useless.  Logan knew how to make headway against the evil out there.  I'm just taking potshots at it and hopefully coming up lucky.  I don't know either way.  He was the master at this game.  I'm nothing without him."

          "Max…"  Jondy started, but Max shoved past her.  She didn't wait for a reaction.  She just headed through the office and out the front door.  Jondy stared after her, but the phone rang so she answered it, figuring Max needed her space.

          "Yeah," Jondy said.

          "You've got Original Cindy here."  

          "Oh, hey," Jondy repeated.

          "Where's my girl?"  OC asked.  "She was supposed to meet me at Crash tonight."

          "She's not here.  She…"  Jondy paused long enough for OC to pick up on something.

          "What happened?"  OC asked.  "Who do I need to smack around now?"

          "It's not like that."  Jondy smiled.  Max didn't need anyone to put a smackdown for her, but it was good to know that OC was around.  She did know Max better than anyone, maybe even Logan.  "She's blaming herself for Logan.  She thinks she could have done more."

          "She blamed herself for Logan's paralysis for over a year.  She takes it hard.  Where is my boo?"  OC asked.

          "She headed out a little while ago.  She wasn't exactly talkative.  I'm going to try and find her,"  Jondy said.

          "Come get me first, I know where she might be,"  OC replied.  "Maybe we can talk some sense into her."

          "I'm on my way.  Meet me outside, boss thinks I'm sick."  Jondy laughed.

          "I got your back, girl," OC answered, before disconnecting the call.  When she got to the parking garage to get her bike, she noticed the Aztek and the Ninja were still parked side-by-side.  Max had walked.  Jondy took her own Ninja anyway, knowing she could cover more ground quicker that way.

          She pulled up into the street and looked around, already knowing that Max was lost in the rainy night somewhere.  Jondy pulled out and headed toward the checkpoint on the way to Crash to pick up Cindy.  If anyone could find Max, OC could.

           Max didn't want to be found.  She wanted to be alone, and in the penthouse that would be impossible.  It had become Transgenic Central since the situation with Cale industries and the influx of ex-Manticore soldiers over the last month.  If someone wanted to make Seattle a power base, they only had to win over Eyes Only and his mini-transgenic army.  If only Eyes Only was here.  Everything could be normal.

          The way things are now, Max thought, the universe didn't even remotely seem like it was on schedule.  It seemed more like this was some twisted alternate universe where all lost souls go to fend for themselves.  Max hated each day as it came to her.

          She stopped and looked up at the sky.  The rain chose that moment to unleash a torrent upon the city.  She stood there, being pelted by the thick, heavy drops.  The rain was so thick, it was almost impossible to see her standing there in the middle of the road.

          A car narrowly missed her as she started walking again, ignoring the rain that was apparently following her in drenching sheets as she headed toward the docks.  Her thoughts ran to recent events.  Dubin was dead.  His dockside gambling club and warehouse smuggling operation had been crushed.  It hadn't taken much, just two transgenics with an uncanny understanding of shadow and stealth.

          His partner, the man called Jaerko had died in a small, soundproof room deep inside one of Eyes Only's abandoned warehouses.  The associate Alec and Biggs brought in to handle the interrogation, an ex-Manticore tech with a deep understanding of how to make anyone talk, had been too zealous in his need to cause pain and Jaerko had died.  He gave up a name though, a name Bennett Cale was all too familiar with.

          Max pulled her cell phone and dialed a number.

          "Skywalker," said the voice on the other end.  

          "This is MaxI need to know where I can find Parker."

          "What?  Why?"  Skywalker asked.

          "Tell me!"  She commanded.  Skywalker was silent for a few minutes.

          "At this time of night, we would assume he's at his home," Skywalker said finally.  "But he may be out at the base organizing the troops.  We're certain he doesn't know about Mr. Cale's plans to send in troops tomorrow evening, but we're not sure just how prepared he is for such an attack."

          "What's his address?"  Max demanded.

          "1280 Montgomery," Skywalker said.  "Why?"

          "Just getting some recon," Max answered.  She had no intention of getting recon.  She was looking for answers.  She would stop at nothing to get them.

          "Max, you don't want to do that.  Captain Parker has Phalanx guards on him at all times.  We've got people on it, but his home is surrounded…" Skywalker tried to explain, but he was cut off when Max disconnected the call and turned her phone off.

          She glanced up at the broken arch above her head.  The main road into the docks was quiet.  Two guards in the small shack at the checkpoint into the sector were watching her, but had not come out into the rain to confront her.  She looked at them.  They looked at her.  She waved before turning and heading in the opposite direction.  Her new destination was on the other side of town.

          The Space Needle was somewhere in between.

          It was a long, wet walk to the Needle, and the climb to the top was tiring for some reason.  Max could feel it all the way up.  She felt it to the very core of her being, and for most of the trip, she understood something that Logan had told her.

          _"I went home.  The sun came up and the sun went down.  I just sat there."  He spoke the words in a tone she knew reflected the way he had felt when he thought she had died._

          Ultimately, though, he hadn't given up.  Original Cindy had been there for him then, and she was here for Max now.  There was something between them, something between Max and Logan that OC had always seen, but the two of them had not been able to admit to themselves.  Eventually, they had gotten there.  They had found that place where they were comfortable with each other and didn't care what anyone else thought.  They were happy.

          It had all been in vain.  Max walked out onto the main room of the Space Needle and looked out over the city.  She couldn't make out much but the dull, grey glow of lights throughout the city.  They were blurry and distant in the miasmal storm that covered the once-great city of Seattle.

          Things had changed.  They just had, and there was no denying it.  An already-dark world had become suddenly darker and more evil than ever before.  Chaos was winning.  Max felt it in every fiber of her being.  Even with her bizarre family and all of her skills, she knew she wasn't going to win this round.

          An old can of paint caught her eye.  She reached down and picked it up, giving it a shake.  It still held paint.  She walked to an interior wall and sprayed a short red line down.  Before she realized it, she had spray-painted the word "DUTY" on the once-blank wall.

          She knew immediately what it meant.  She knew what memory it pulled up from the back of her mind.  She knew where it would lead her.  She watched as she sprayed another word on the wall.  Mechanically, her hand worked the can as if it had a will of its own.

          The second word hung there, taunting her.  It was laughing at her.

HONOR

          She stared at the word on the interior wall of the Space Needle.  She could see it just fine, but in the flash of lightning, the streams from the paint running down the wall appeared to be something else.

          She lifted the can and held it in her outstretched arm.  She waited for only an instant before spraying the third word.  When she was finished, she carefully set the can down.  It had become something sacred to her.  It had become a connection to the past and a symbol for the future.

          She stepped away from it and watched the wall, waiting for the lightning to illuminate the word she had just sprayed.  The streams of thickly sprayed paint ran down the wall, presenting her with the effect she had expected.  She turned without smiling and headed into the lower level of the former restaurant, where the kitchen and coatroom used to be.

          A sound caught her ears.  Someone was coming up the steps.  Two women Max knew.  It wasn't hard for her to figure out.  Original Cindy and Jondy had followed her here.  She knew she couldn't let them see her.  She knew them too well.  They wouldn't let her do what had to be done.  It required her to shed all that she become and be only what she was.

          A soldier.  A hunter.  A killer. 

          They couldn't be involved anymore.  No one could.  It was on her.  It was only her.  She had failed Logan one time too many and only she could fix it.  Her path was chosen.  She ducked into the nearest shadow and waited.

          No thought.  No sound.  She stepped into the darkness that was always there.  It enveloped her like a lost sister returning home.

          Jondy was the first one through the door.  OC followed closely behind.  They walked past and headed up the steps, toward the main deck of the Space Needle.  Max stood motionless and listened to their conversation as they walked.

          "What about it?"

          "I've given it some thought, but I'm really one of those loner types," Jondy said.

          "Girl, you're just frontin' because of that barcode thingy you have, but I know you.  You're just like my boo and fast becoming one of them.  There ain't no way I'm letting you try to pull the same thing Max tried to pull on me."  OC said.

          "What do you mean?"  Jondy asked.  

          "Did I ever tell you how Max and I met?"  OC asked.  Jondy shook her head.  "Well, I was in this Jamestown hittin' on this little hottie when the biker she was with failed to understand Original Cindy's intent.  There was a fight…"  She told her story.

          "Let me guess, you laid down the law and smacked him around."  Jondy laughed.

          "And he had a weapon in his hand, but we ain't gonna get into that.  It was pretty small."  Both girls laughed.  "But I left him laying there on the pavement."

          "And the hottie?"

          "Gone like the wind," OC said.  "But later in the bar, the biker turned up with a bunch of his friends and tried to extract revenge, but you can't get blood from a turnip, you know what I'm sayin?"  She smiled.  "Only they were intent on trying.  I fought off a couple of them, but they pinned me to the floor and started pawing at me."  OC paused and looked around the lower level, resting her eyes on the darkest shadow in the room.  She stared, hard trying to see something that didn't want to be seen.  She shook her head and continued following Jondy up the short flight of steps.

          "What is it?"  Jondy asked.

          "I don't know,"  OC said.  "Something, maybe nothing...  Anyway, this dark little creature, finer than a month of spa visits in Paris, strolled right into the middle of everyone."

          "What happened?"  Jondy asked.

          "She moved so fast.  She was like a dust devil on speed.  A whirling dervish if I ever saw one…"  OC said.  The voices trailed off as Max, a single tear beneath her left eye, silently stepped through the door and never looked back.

          Up on the main deck of the Needle, Jondy and OC both stopped in the middle of the broken furniture and floor where water from the drenching rain storm had been collecting for hours now.  Jondy noticed the wall first in a flash of lightning, but OC was able to adjust her eyes and see what Jondy was suddenly staring at.

          Three words were spray-painted on the wall.  The paint was running beneath the words in ever-thicker streams, resembling blood in the bleak glow of a lightning-streaked night.

          "Oh my God," OC said.  Jondy looked at her.

          "What does it mean?"

          "It means she's slipping," OC replied.  "She told me once about our brother Ben.  He had gone insane and was hunting humans.  He was killing them for sport.  It was like a game to him.  She told me he had spray- painted three words on the wall in an old, abandoned factory on the south side.  'Duty,' 'discipline,' and 'mission' were the words.

          Max stood beneath the Space Needle.  She glanced up one last time before disappearing into the rainy Seattle night.  She looked up at the sky as she walked, letting the heavy downpour wash over her face.  Her thoughts were with Logan.

_          "Do not attempt to adjust your set. This is a Streaming Freedom Video bulletin. The cable hack will last exactly 60 seconds. It cannot be traced, it cannot be stopped and it is the only free voice left in this city.  This is Eyes Only speaking to __Gerhardt__Bronck__. You are holding two of my operatives, __Mr.__ _Bronck___. I want them back. You will be contacted."  She remembered that broadcast as if it were yesterday.  With Bling's help, and her-near perfect memory of watching __Logan__ run cable hacks, she was able to completely destroy Bronck's attempt to build an empire._

_          Unfortunately, it had almost cost __Logan__ and Detective Sung their lives.  She had recorded the phone conversation and taken a chance when she heard the foghorn.  __Wharton_ Airfield was her destination.  She had arrived just in time.__

_          She had scaled the outside of the building and come in on the second floor.  No one had heard her, but as she glanced down on the scene below her, she noticed a thug pointing a weapon at __Logan__'s chest.  She had almost been too late._

_          She wasn't and __Logan__ was safe.  She had things to go on then.  She had resources she could tap and someone to back her up._

She had none of that now.  She had only herself.  Relying on others wasn't part of the plan.  The plan had involved Logan from the beginning.  Logan wasn't around now.  The plan had to change.  Almost to the day of her return from Arizona, there had been a buildup of Phalanx soldiers in Seattle.  It was as if they had known that Eyes Only had disappeared.

          Thinking was something Logan did.  Max was about the action.  Logan planned and Max executed; that was the plan from the beginning, and without Logan to make such plans, Max was left to make it up along the way, but wasn't that what she did best?

          She wanted to believe he was out there, trying very hard to get back to her.  She needed to believe; after all, didn't he come into Manticore alone to save her?  Why would he just give up?  It wasn't in his nature to quit like that.  He was stronger than that.  No.  He would never give up.  She knew Lydecker was the key.  She knew the doctor would lead Syl, Krit, and Zane to dear old Deck.  Eventually, they would bring her home and she would extract everything she needed to know from him, one blood drop at a time.

          That process would take a few days.  The waiting was the problem.  Logan had pointed out on several occasions that she wasn't the most patient person around.  She liked getting results to her actions.  She liked being done with the job, coming home, and relaxing with a good meal, a nice glass of wine, and her man.  Now, not even hanging at Crash with OC and the gang was interesting anymore.

          No.  The universe wasn't on schedule anymore.  It was completely whacked.  She had no choice now.  She had to do something to expedite the process and make this thing go away.

          She had to confront Parker.

          Getting to Montgomery without being seen was the easy part.  Getting across the checkpoints into the wealthy districts was a snap.  Getting to Parker's home was simple.  The problem was getting onto the property.  The grounds were littered with soldiers walking very intensive and thorough patterns.

          Max scouted the entire area, avoiding the main compound and two neighboring homes before she found her way in.  Even in this heavy rain on a dark night, she was still surprised to see as many guards out and about as there were.  She counted ten on the east side of the grounds alone.  They were buffered by overlapping troops from the north and south sides, walking similar patterns in their areas.  It would have been next to impossible to get in, but Max found the loophole in the pattern.

          A small stand of trees, stretching along a stream running through the back yard, led to a small lake.  The lake bordered the property near a small pool house.  The pool house was well lit, but poorly guarded, and deep in the far end of the pool was an underwater swim tunnel into the house, attached to an indoor pool in a large room completely engulfed in steam.  It was the only way, and she knew she would be able to hold her breath long enough to make the short swim. 

          She headed back out and around to the neighbor's yard, where the stream came from.  Dropping into the water, she moved along the stream, silently catching every shadow along the way.  No one noticed her as she half-floated, half-crawled through the four feet of water toward the pool house along the small lake.

          One guard stood at the entrance to the gate, smoking a cigarette.  He was not paying attention to her as she dropped silently into the large outdoor pool, and with a deep breath, began her swim through the tube into the house.  It was a longer swim than she had first thought, but she made it without any difficulties.  Soundlessly, she slipped her head up out of the water and searched the steamy room for any signs of activity.  There was none.  The pool room was completely empty.  Only the gently rolling clouds of steam moved around the room, giving off a freaky feeling that that it was alive somehow.

          Towels hung on the wall near what was obviously a doorway into a shower area.  She toweled herself off before continuing into the house to search for Captain Parker.  It wasn't that she was worried about tracking water into the lavishly decorated home, but a dripping wet cat suit would make noise that she didn't want to deal with.

Somewhere Else

Approximate time…

          The door opened.  A gray-robed monk stepped through the doorway, ignoring the self-closing door as he headed down the hall.  He hadn't paid any attention to the brown-robed monk standing near the door, waiting for him to exit.

          A quick hand reached out and pulled the gray-robed monk back by the throat and into the chamber.  The robed monk made short work of the elder, snapping his neck cleanly and dropping the body to the ground.  He then removed the gray robes and wrapped the body in the carpet on the floor.  There was a furnace just meters away, so the body would be easy to make disappear.  It could wait though.  The brown-robed monk needed to search the elder's quarters and find any clues that he could.

          He started with the computer sitting on the desk.  "Okay, Jack.  Let's see what you're made of," he mumbled.  His fingers began their dance back and forth across the keys as information passed over the screen in rapidly opening and closing windows.  Window after window accessed information until he hit a particular file.  He had hit the jackpot.

          "Everything you wanted to know about Project Manticore but were afraid to ask," Jack laughed to himself.  He would soon learn why the conclave feared this relatively small number of genetically engineered soldiers.

          The files weren't that extensive and he couldn't help wondering why he felt he knew more than everyone in this place.  There was a folder on some guy called Sandemann who seemed to be the anti-everything around here.  There was a folder on Colonel Donald Lydecker, the lead officer and director of the project for many years.  That particular folder made him physically shudder.  He felt like he was going to throw up when he saw a picture of the amazingly unremarkable-looking man.

          A third folder was marked "priority."  It was pass-protected and locked behind decent, but not unbreakable encryption.  It took the better part of five minutes to get into the file, and then it spilled out more than a gig of information on a group known as Fifth Column.  They appeared to be the subversive group within the cult that had plans on taking over the power structure worldwide.  Their only known goal was complete domination over what they called "The lesser species of man" and their kind.

          Jack read, skimming the pages until he reached the list of known operatives within the conclave itself.  Directly on top, leading the entire deep cover operation, was the name Bob Jackson.  His buddy was part of the resistance he had heard about.  He tagged the new folder and went on to the next.

          "Joe" was the name of the next folder.  Not much was in it, except for a location that was no longer marked as valid, and a description of a man, once apparently part of a special project within the Phalanx.  A subsequent folder with the "Joe" folder was marked with a note – "Project Terminated."  Jack opened the folder, but it was empty.

          One last folder caught his eyes as he was backing out of the files and preparing to burn off the information.  It was marked with one word– "TWO."  The file was locked behind mountains of encryption that would take hours to crack.  Twenty minutes after starting, Jack had only succeeded in cracking the first three levels of encryption.  He decided to copy the entire hard drive as a backup file on discs and get out of there.  It would be dinner time soon enough, and offer the opportunity to travel freely through the catacombs with the new information.  He could easily peruse the info back in his quarters.

          The hall was clear half an hour later when the backups had been made.  He looked around the room one last time, but saw nothing of interest.  Making his way into the hall with the wrapped corpse over his shoulder was easy enough, and he found himself standing outside of the furnace just ten minutes later.

          Quickly, he dumped the body in the furnace and headed for the assigned cafeteria to meet Bob for dinner.  The gray robes had been stashed where he could retrieve them when he needed them.  While he walked, he contemplated the possibilities that had just opened before him.

          On one hand, he could use the information gathered to gain a better standing within the conclave by exposing the Fifth Column.  On the other hand, he could just as easily protect this information and slowly work his way into the Fifth Column to help them in their goals.

          Either way, one side or the other would destroy the conclave, but for some reason, he couldn't figure out why he wanted that to happen so much.  Ever since meeting Ames White, he knew it was the only reason he existed now.  He had to destroy that man by any means necessary.  It had become his only goal.  This place had to be destroyed.

          The cult had to be broken.

          Dinner went smoothly.  There was no unnecessary chatter and the food was typical.  Jack passed on an opportunity for seconds, and headed out into the catacombs to wander for a bit before turning in.  Bob was running to catch up to him shortly after he turned down a side tunnel.

          "Hey, Jack!"  Bob called.

          "Yeah," Jack called over his shoulder.

          "You were awfully quiet in the mess and you disappeared after leaving the lab this afternoon.  What's up?"  Bob asked.  "You haven't been going back to Terminal Arena again, have you?"

          "And if I have?  You going to report me to Phalanx officers?"  Jack demanded.  His voice was sour and defensive.

          "Not at all, but you know what will happen if they catch you in there."  Bob reached out and grabbed Jack's shoulder.  Jack moved fast, faster than Bob had been expecting; his arm was yanked up and twisted out.

          "There are times when a man should be left to his own devices.  It is in those times that he excels and becomes more than he has ever been, or he falls, never to be heard from again."  Jack glared into the darkness of Bob's robes.  He knew the other man from the computer lab had not been expecting the action.

          "Sorry, buddy.  I won't grab you like that again," Bob stammered.  "I just wanted to get a straight answer."

          "Straight answers are for men like White and the priestesses.  We deal in 'what ifs,' and if those 'what's' don't add up, then the whole system breaks down."  Jack turned and walked away, having already forgotten he had been grabbed, so heavy were the thoughts racing through his mind.

          Bob didn't follow at first, but his curiosity got the better of him and he walked along behind Jack, keeping his distance, but staying close.  It didn't take long to figure out where Jack was headed.  He was going to Terminal Arena.

          "I can't let you do this, buddy," Bob said.  He ran up and stepped into line alongside of Jack.  "You are living on the edge."

          "The edge of what?"  Jack asked.  "The edge of a sword?  I saw that movie and read the book.  It was one of my favorites as a kid.  Or am I the snail crawling along the edge of a straight razor?  It's not a dream or a nightmare because I can't distinguish between the two anymore.  All I know is the gypsy girl, and she's just a vision I cannot even begin to understand.  There is no hope or honor in what I did today."

          "What the hell are you talking about?"  Bob stepped in front of his friend and put his arms up to stop him.  Jack sidestepped him and Bob had to use a quick two-step to get back in front of the man.  "You don't want to throw down against me," Bob said.  "You would lose that fight."

          Jack's hood bobbed ever so slightly, and with only a hint of a second in the pause, he spoke to Bob.  "No.  I wouldn't,"  he stated, with a smirking tone to his voice.  "Let me in or get out of my way."  

          "What are you talking about?"  Bob asked.

          "You know what I'm talking about," Jack said.  "What's the date today?"

          "The fifth… why?"  Bob asked.  He realized the moment he said it what Jack meant.

          "That is exactly what I'm talking about."  Jack smiled.  He knew he had won this round.  He knew that Bob was at a severe disadvantage.  "I handed information over to a man who intends to kill young men and women, teens, and kids.  White may be able to live with that, but I can't.  You have twenty-four hours," Jack said as he walked away.

          "Twenty-four hours for what?"  Bob asked.

          "Wait until tomorrow and find out, I don't care."  Jack said, but he turned down a hall and was gone.  Bob just stood there.  He was confused, but impressed.

          Down the hall, Jack breathed a heavy sigh.  All the bets were now in and he had called.  Half an hour of aimless wandering later, he found himself in the darkest shadow of Terminal Arena.

          He felt at ease there.  It was as if he belonged there, a part of the void that would never hold light of its own.  It warmed him to be in shadow, looking out.  He could feel her there in the deepest dark of the arena.  The soldiers outside of his personal space could not see him here.  They didn't feel his presence, and even on those rare occasions when one would look toward his void, they would see nothing.  It was as if they did not understand the benefit of being one with the shadows of the world.

          He laughed to himself.  They needed to be out there on the floor of the arena hurting each other.  He needed to be in here, hidden, but right in the middle of the most danger.  He felt it here.  He felt her here.  The gypsy girl was watching over him as he slept, but when he came here and crossed over into shadow, he was watching over her.

          It was an odd feeling that rushed over him when he came here.  It was as if something had connected him to the combat on the dirty floor several rows down from his position.  A circle of soldiers was gathered, male and female.  They stood around, watching and waiting for openings to attack.  They would attack singularly, or in groups of two and three, trying to gain the upper hand in a twisted game of "king of the hill."

          Jack watched them, but his mind was elsewhere.

          _A slight figure moved through a heavily guarded house.  The shadows welcomed her as she watched two armed guards walk mere feet away from her.  They didn't even attempt to look into the shadow as they passed._

          Jack watched closely as two men moved from the circle and passed by the small, wild-haired woman in the center.  They didn't seem to see her as a threat.  They passed through the center, and attacked another man moving from the other side of the ring.  The woman stepped, unnoticed, back into the circle, and Jack lost track of her.

          _In the main hall, the two guards met up with a third, and talked quietly for a couple of minutes before all three went their separate ways.  The small raven-haired beauty did a quick and efficient scan of the immediate area and located her next shadow.  She could hear voices, but could see no one.  She moved remarkably fast, phasing almost from one shadow to the next.  She was nothing more than a blurry vision that would only register to the subconscious through peripheral sight, had someone actually been watching._

          There in the center of the ring, the three men joined in combat and fought viciously before two were knocked to the ground.  Others grabbed hold of them and pulled them back into the circle, leaving the third still standing in the center.  This type of free fighting was common in Terminal Arena, where the weakest were usually left to die at the end of the day.  It was cold and cruel, but only the strongest would be allowed to fight for the Phalanx.  The weak were no good to anybody.  Jack watched as a large blonde-haired man stepped into the ring and waited for an attack.

          _The shadow breathed out, and a smooth face calmly pushed from the darkness, revealing a dark eye set perfectly above full pouting lips.  The eye, barely exposed on the edge of the shadow peered down the hall.  A large guard was standing there, watching closely for any activity out back on the patio.  He did not move.  He only breathed and stared out into the darkness of the yard.  She would have to get past him to get to the target location._

Jack watched as another soldier stepped up behind the big man.  She was small, but appeared to be very strong.  Her body was tight and toned, and she would be a formidable opponent.  She scanned the ring and watched, waiting for her moment.  The third soldier checked his stance before his attack.  The big man waited for the attack to come.  When the third soldier attacked, the woman made her move.

          _The dark creature stepped from the shadows, moving low and silent across the hall toward the big man.  She stepped into a small but embracing patch of darkness near him.  Just as she ceased all movement, a woman stepped onto the patio and drew the big blonde guard's attention.  He stepped to the patio door, and left the rear hall to speak with the woman on the far edge of the patio.  They stood with their backs to the inside and spoke quietly to each other.  The kitten couldn't believe her luck, and stifled a giggle as she phased in a blur of motion down the hall toward the study._

          Jack had been expecting the big man to handle the attack, as had the third soldier left from the previous battle.  The smaller man had not paid any attention to the woman as she moved around the outside rim of the ring.  As if on cue, the smaller soldier quickened his pace toward the larger soldier, set in his attack.  The larger soldier did not attempt to stop the attack, and just before the smaller man reached his target, the woman, unseen and quiet until now, flew in from the side and took out the third soldier from the previous battle.  He was slow in getting up from the floor, but the other two had stepped toward the perimeter of the circle, leaving the ring for someone else to take.

          _Another shadow welcomed the feline creature as she waited for something to happen.  The couple was still discussing unknown subjects on the patio, and the hall inside seemed deserted.  She risked movement and headed toward the three doors at the end of the hall.  One was her destination.  She listened at each of the doors until she was certain there was no one in either of the side rooms.  She could hear noise from inside the end room._

          Another man stepped into the circle.  Jack noticed his stride.  He was confident.  His muscles rippled with each movement, no matter how slight.  He secured his place in the circle with a simple punch to the head of the struggling man, leaving the useless opponent unconscious on the floor.  A second soldier stepped into the ring and the confident one made short work of him.  He was followed quickly by a third, then a fourth, and finally a fifth.  The man was damn near a machine.

          _The side room on the left seemed to present the best opportunity.  She opened the door and ducked inside just as the hall burst with activity.  Three men stepped from the end hall.  She could hear more inside, arguing over how best to handle the situation at hand.  One wanted to move immediately.  One wanted to secure more bases of operations in each sector.  One wanted to get it over with and just take out all resistance in the business community, since they were so close to gaining control of local law enforcement.  Their people were in place.  They were awaiting orders.  The man in charge was silent._

          Not a sound issued forth from the machine running the show.  Soldiers attacked.  Soldiers fell, and he did not make a sound, nor move much from his central location.  Bodies crawled and rolled, and were carried to the perimeter as soldier after soldier attacked and failed.  Jack noticed her then.  She had been moving around the outside of the ring, and had pushed her way into the circle again.  Her eyes were watching the warrior's every movement.  She was searching for her opening.  She was trying to find his weakness.  She did not notice the priestesses moving into Terminal Arena with their books and bags in hand.  She was determined to win, no matter the cost.

          _The door opened and a man stepped in, followed by another.  The kitten had been listening at the wall and not paying enough attention to the door.  She dropped behind the chair and cursed her own ignorance.  The two men walked to the opposite side of the room and went for a drink at the bar along the wall.  She saw her opportunity and took it.  Moving with inhuman speed, she was across the room instantly, her hands locked on one head, twisting and snapping the neck.  With one hand, she lowered the body quietly to the ground, while simultaneously sending a shot to the throat of the second man who had turned to face the attacker.  She silenced him with the shot and immediately grabbed his head.  She lowered the second body to the floor and went back to the far wall.  The end table near the window offered access to the vent between floors._

Jack watched as the woman stepped into the circle.  Several men and women were lying around.  Some were broken.  Some were unconscious.  Some were stupid enough to stand up and continue the attack.  A few were not even moving.  The circle was diminishing rapidly.  The machine stood still, unmoving and stoic in the center, taking all attackers in stride.  He did not notice the small woman stalking him from the perimeter of the circle.

_          She moved silently through the vent and peered into the office at the end of the hall.  The room was deserted, save two men.  They were discussing their options on a military base north of the city.  She knew which one they spoke of.  She knew what they had intended and were planning at this time.  She knew an advantage could be gained right here and now if she succeeded.  One man turned with a nod and left the room.  The other man stepped from his desk and headed over to the window._

          Jack was impressed with her movements across the floor.  She had managed to pace the entire circle without being seen.  She was now behind him, preparing her attack.  Jack leaned forward, as if encouraging her with his thoughts.  He wanted to see what she was made of.  She moved slowly taking three short steps…

_          The kitten dropped to the floor silently.  She set the vent panel on the floor and moved closer to the target standing in the window.  She held no thought in her mind.  She had no care for anything but her target.  She moved around the desk and prepared her attack…_


	5. Emerald City Blues

Emerald City Blues

Cale Industries

Bennett's office…

          Bennett set the phone down.  He had left eight messages at the penthouse.  There had been no answer for almost three hours.  He tried to contact Jondy, and got nothing but busy signals.  She was using it, but he was not able to catch her off of it.  He had one last choice.  He picked up the phone to dial, but Skywalker came into the office.

          "Hey."  Bennett said.  "What's going on?"

          "We've got a crisis situation in progress."  Skywalker said.  "Max is missing."

          "WHAT!"

          "She called in a few hours ago.  She wanted to know where Parker lived.  She said she would just get some recon, but that was over three hours ago and no one has heard from her since.  I've sent out a team to check out the place, but so far no word has come down the line."

          "Well, she's highly trained, right?"  Bennett asked.  "There's no real need to worry about this."

          "That's not all."  Skywalker continued.  "Jondy said that she and Original Cindy have found something at the space needle."

          "Found what?'

          "Some spray painted words.  Jondy says it has something to do with X5-493."  Skywalker explained.  "Apparently, Max is pulling a 493.  Jondy doesn't believe that she's snapped, but she's Rogue."

          "What exactly does that mean?"  Bennett asked.  "You say that like it's a bad thing."

          "It can be."  Skywalker continued his explanation.  "X5-493 was one of the Rogues.  He… snapped."

          "What do you mean snapped?"

          "No one knows for sure.  What we do know it that he was hunting human prey on the outside for several years.  He killed close to a hundred after he kidnapped them and took the victims to a secluded place."

          "And you think that Max is doing this?"  Bennett asked.  He couldn't believe what he was hearing.  He knew most of the Children of Manticore Logan and Max had released into the world were uncertain in their like for the Rogues, but he also knew that they respected the Rogues for stepping up to the plate and trying to do the right thing by the kids that had never been out in the world.

          "I don't think Max is hunting humans.  I think she may have slipped over the edge though and that only leads to the dark side."  Skywalker said.

          "The Dark Side," Bennett inquired.

          "Simply put, boss," Skywalker clarified his statement.  "One of the Rogues has gone Rogue.  We don't know what her motivations are.  We don't know where she is and we don't know what she's doing."

          "Then we have to find her."  Bennett said.  "She could jeopardize everything.  You say she went after Parker?"

          "She went to his residence to get some recon.  That is all we know."

          "And you've got a team out there, right?"

          "I sent them out thirty minutes ago.  They should be arriving shortly, but Max disappeared over three hours ago.  We don't know what kind of damage she has already done."  Skywalker said.

          "We can't assume that she's done any damage.  We can only assume that she is getting recon.  I know Max.  She worked with Logan.  Logan never did anything without a plan."

          "But the Rogues, especially Max, aren't Logan."  Skywalker said.  "They left Manticore at the worst possible time in their development."

          "What do you mean?"

          "Between the ages of 8 and 12, we were put through a series of training maneuvers.  These maneuvers were designed to teach us one thing.  How to kill...  Convicts were brought in and we hunted them.  Sometimes they were just strapped up against a tree and we were given knives.  Some of us were taught techniques of torture in small, cement rooms."

          "My god…"  Bennett said.

          "We endured two straight years of that.  The better ones endured four.  It was all we knew."  Skywalker continued.  After that point, the students were taken to psy-ops and conditioning was put into place to ensure that we just didn't go around killing anyone and everyone that looked at us wrong.  The Rogues escaped without this conditioning."

          "That would explain 493."  Bennett said.  "But I know Max.  She's not like that."

          "Yet she is spray painting walls just like he did.  She is operating without a handler or backup.  She is out there on her own doing who knows what."  Skywalker pointed out the facts.

          "So you're saying what, exactly?"  Bennett asked finally.

          "I'm asking," He said.  "What if she didn't go there to get recon?"

Sector 12

The Waterfront…

          "You're not going anywhere, freak."  Ames White said.  "You're cut off.  You're outnumbered.  You're alone."

          "Who're you callin' a freak?"  Suede asked.  "They say you don't feel pain.  That sounds pretty freaky to me."  He said.  He laughed.  "And look how short you are compared to that bride of Frankenstein standing beside you."

          Thula lunged at that statement, but White stayed her with a hand on her arm.  She looked down, quickly yanking her arm away from him as if it was something bad to be seen touching him.

          "Relax.  That's exactly what he wants you to do.  It gives him an advantage."  White said.  "I don't know which one you are."  White said.  "But I know I've seen that mug before."

          "It's too bad you don't have a better memory." Suede said.  "It's going to be kind of disappointing killing you when you don't even know who I am."

          "Well, you're not going to kill me."  White said.  "My men here will make sure of that."  He paused, staring at the tall muscular Nubian with the glaring teeth.  "I know I've seen you before somewhere."

          "You have.  You failed to nab me then and you'll fail this time as well."  Suede said.

          "I've got it.  You're X5-682."  White snapped his fingers as four more soldiers approached from the alley behind him.  "You were involved in that whole Dalton Genetics scam.  The project sent you in to take out old man Dalton, but I got there first."

          "Actually, you got lucky."  Suede laughed.  "Eyes Only got there first.  His cable hack warned me that you were coming.  I don't know how he knew, but he did.  I'd say you owe the man your life."

          "How do you figure?"  White demanded.  He had never heard anything so preposterous.

          "It's simple.  Eyes Only's warning led me out the back door that day.  Had I walked out the front into your contingent of NSA thugs, you all would have died quick and violent deaths.  As it stands, you only lost two guards around the side when I made my break for it."

          "Do you really think you could harm me?"  White asked.  Suede smiled.  White noticed the change in his eyes immediately.

          A blade suddenly appeared in Suede's hand.  He launched it directly at White's chest as he dropped and rolled toward the waterfront along the edge of the dock.  The roll offered an angle on the four soldiers taking up positions alongside of Thula.

          Suede roared as the blade sunk into White's shoulder.  He had dodged, but not fast enough, and the blade bit into his shoulder blade rendering his arm useless at the moment.

          "SHOOT HIM!!!"  Thula shouted, but Suede opened up on the soldiers standing next to her as he continued toward the waterfront with another side roll.  Bullets ripped into the four soldiers sending them sprawling back and down and out of play.  Thula grabbed a weapon from the one closest to her as he fell.  "DON'T LET HIM GET TO THE WATER!"  She shouted.

          "Too late," Suede laughed.  He jumped up over a flurry of bullets and dove headlong into the black depths of the water along the dock leaving the Phalanx weapon clanging on the ground where he had so recently been.  The three remaining guards ran to the shore line and fired into the water.

          "It's no use."  White said.  He reached up and pulled the dagger from his shoulder with an audible squelch and a slight crunching sound.  He threw it in the water and turned to walk away.

          "He can't have gotten far."  Thula argued.

          "Maybe he did.  Maybe he didn't.  We have other priorities to deal with tonight.  Forget about him."  White said.

          "But he's transgenic.  I thought we were supposed to exterminate them?"

          "We are."  White said glaring up at the tall Amazon in front of him.  "It is useless to hunt them one by one, however much fun it may be.  I plan on isolating a large group of them and exterminating them all at once.  We can play games with the rest after we are finished."

          "What about Eyes Only?"

          "What about Eyes Only?"  White asked.  "He's a minor irritation.  I have techs working on tracing him the next time he makes a broadcast.  We will find him and take him out.  Then, with 452 as their only leader, we will corral them in a central location and remove them."

          "You make it sound so simple."

          "It is."  White smiled.

Sector Ten

City checkpoint…

          Brin pointed to her eyes and gestured just in front of her with three fingers.  She gave a signal to lay low and moved from the shadow in front of her.  There was some rustling and a muffled groan and then silence.

          Alec looked at Biggs.  Biggs smiled.  Brin poked her head around the corner.  "You boys coming," she asked

          Biggs shook his head and smiled.  "Not bad."

          "Not bad?"  Brin asked.  "I take out three sector guards in under five seconds and all you can say is not bad?"  She headed into the sector through the little used checkpoint and ducked into the shadows along the far side of the road.

          "Well, speaking as a professional here, three men should only take three seconds.  Incapacitation is a fine art and one you haven't mastered yet."

          "Incapaci-what?"  Alec snorted.  "Is that even a word?"

          "She's a girl."  Biggs said.  "It stands to reason that she would be slower against three men than you or I."

          "Well, that is at least a valid point."  Alec agreed.

          "Even if they are ordinaries," Biggs continued.

          "But where the hell did you get the word 'incavatation' or whatever you said?"  Alec asked.

          "It's a word, and I said incapacitation."  Biggs answered.  "Cavitations is a nautical term."

          "Whatever you said, it wasn't a word."  Alec continued.

          "Damn!  Don't you two ever shut up?"  Brin asked.  "This is a covert mission here.  You know… stealth and secrecy or did you two sleep through infiltration exercises?"

          "Hey, I'm not the one going around and making up words."  Alec said.  "And by the way, are you just going to ignore the fact that he said you were slow because you are a woman?"

          "Yes."  She answered.  Brin knew better.  She took one look at Alec and knew he wouldn't last against her.

          That ended the conversation and the threesome walked along the side of the road toward the checkpoint leading out of Seattle and into the dark forest and mountains.

          They approached to about five hundred yards and all three of them hyper-focused on the small roadblock.  There were eight guards, all heavily armored and wearing black uniforms, not the standard issue BDU of the sector guards.

          "What do you think that's all about?"  Brin asked.

          "I'd have to say, they aren't sector cops."  Biggs said.

          "Well, they aren't standard issue goons at least.  These goons look meaner and more highly trained."  Alec said.

          "Military?"  Biggs asked.  His tone was a hopeful one.  "They've put heavier guards in place because of the remote location…"

          "Could be, but why have eight guards to watch one checkpoint?"  Alec asked.

          "shhh…"  Biggs said.  "Someone's coming."

          The three soldiers crouched lower and waited patiently.  They could all hear the footsteps of four jack-booted troops approaching from behind them along the street.

          "Sector team four, report in…" a voice ordered across the radio on one of their shoulders.

          "This is team four.  Zone three is clear."  The lead guard said.  "I repeat, zone three is clear, not even a stray animal out here."

          "That's what I like to hear team four.  Keep the street clear.  The convoy's ETA is ten minutes… mark.  We will be moving out when they are through and returning to base.  The Captain has new orders."

          "Copy that, Sir."  Team four out.

          The guards crossed the street away from Brin, Biggs and Alec, maintaining their rotation in what was apparently zone three.

          "What do you think?"  Alec whispered.  "If we're in zone three, then it's a given there are more troops out here."

          "I agree."  Brin said.  She smiled.  "Let's get closer."

          "This is it.  We've found it."  Biggs added as they phased into shadow and moved along the edge of the block.  "This is the location where they are getting in."

          "I would imagine."  Alec answered.  "What do we do about it?"

          "We have to cut them off."  Brin said.  "I just don't know how."

          "Yet," Biggs added.  "We'll figure it out."

          "We're going to have to call Max and let her know."  Alec said.  "She can run a cable hack."

          "Let's deal with that issue when we are done here."  Brin said.

          "FREEZE!!!"  A woman shouted.  "Don't move."

          Brin, Biggs and Alec looked up above them.  A female soldier was leaning out of a window with her weapon pointed down on top of them.

          "Base, this is zone two.  Perimeter has been breeched."

Sector Nine

Fogle Towers…

          "We're not going to find her."  OC said.  With the current brown out in the sector, the elevators weren't running.  The girls had walked out of the garage and around to the front of the building to check in.  During Brown outs, most of these buildings went on permanent lockdown and no one got in or out without an invite that didn't live here.  Fortunately, Jondy still lived here.

          "We will."  Jondy tried to sound reassuring, but she knew as well as Cindy that Max wouldn't be found if she didn't want to be.  "I hope she just went to collect her thoughts and didn't do anything stupid."

          "Stupid?"  OC said.  "If there is one thing Max isn't, she isn't stupid.  Stubborn, yes, overconfident at times… definitely, but never stupid.  Logan never did anything without a plan."

          "But Max did, Cindy."  Jondy said.  "Max is from Manticore.  We were taught to make it up as we went.  It was on us to make a bad situation work out or it got far worse than it could be.  We were trained to react, not think about anything."

          "Yeah, kill or be killed."  OC said.  "I know.  I may not be from Manticore, but I did my time in the army.  I played around in the black ops for a time."

          "I know Cindy…"  Jondy stopped and looked around for something.  "Someone's coming."  It was very late and there had been no one on the street when they walked up. 

          "It's okay."  OC said.  Jondy was already watching.  She pointed to the corner of the building where CeCe approached followed by a small, dark brown girl with very serious eyes.  "Hey girl," OC said.

          "This is Evangeline."  CeCe said.  "She's a six.  She got the name from an old comic she found.  She arrived yesterday, stowed away on a truck coming up from LA.  Apparently there's a big news report down there about the new look of Eyes Only."

          "There are always news reports about Eyes Only."

          "Not like this."  Evangeline said.  "They have information supplied by an anonymous source that he is localized here in Seattle, that he is connected to terrorists, and that he is plotting against the government.  There has been a reward announced for his capture."

          "What?"  Cindy and Jondy both asked at the same time.  "Are you serious?"

          "Yes.  1,000,000 Euro," Evangeline said.  "It was on the news last week."

          "Why would they run that report in LA and not here?"  Jondy asked.

          "That's easy.  There is a large and well established gang community down there as well as the largest active port on the West Coast.  Anyone could get into the country and come up here virtually undetected with the right connections."  Cindy explained.  "We have to find Max and find her fast."

          "Where's Max?"  CeCe asked.

          "We don't know."  Jondy said.

          "Who is Max?"  Evangeline asked.

          "You remember the Rogues?"  CeCe asked.  Evangeline nodded.  "452."

          "Oh," the girl said.  "I see."

          "What's that supposed to mean?"  Cindy asked.

          "It means that I know who 452 is."  Evangeline said.  "I saw her once, on the inside, I mean.  I was transporting some documents when I passed her and four guards in the hall.  They say she defeated them in combat with her hands cuffed behind her back and then stared directly into the camera without moving.  I was already out of the hall at that time so I don't know if it's true or not."

          "That's my girl."  OC smiled.  "C'mon.  I'm hungry and it's almost past curfew.  I know there's food in the apartment, I helped buy it."

          "Yeah," Jondy agreed.  "We'll wait for her there.  She has to come back.  She can't just disappear."

          "Would she do that?"  CeCe asked.  Evangeline looked up at the tall blonde with a strange look in her eyes.  "She wouldn't abandon everything they've worked so hard for here, would she?"

          "Who are they?"  Evangeline asked.

          "Max and Logan, he's her boyfriend," Jondy said.  "They've been instrumental in helping all of The Children of Manticore get adjusted and rotated into this society."  She continued her explanation.  "If it hadn't been for them and a handful of others, we would have been hunted to extinction by White and his cult wackos…"

          "Cult," Evangeline said.  "I don't know about any cult.  I never learned anything at Manticore."

          "Not one of the best students?"  CeCe asked.  "It's okay, neither was I."

          "I excelled in diagnostics and repair though.  Tested off the scale for my class, at least that's what I was told.  They were going to send me to another facility."  Evangeline stated suddenly.  "But I never learned where that was.  I had manuals though.  They are still down in LA.  I was in the study chamber when the alarms started to sound.  I walked out into the hall to return the manuals when the doors locked behind me.  X6-555, from my class passed me in the hall and told me we were under attack, so I followed him."

          "What happened then?"  OC asked.  "We don't really know what happened when you kids escaped."

          "We regrouped out in the perimeter before the order to go to ground came from X5-808.  We assumed squads and headed out into the forest.  It was days before I found myself in LA in an abandoned building."  She looked at the other women before she continued.  She was looking for something in their eyes.  "It was funny, but as 555 and I were heading out into the training yard, I saw a man carrying a woman out of the front of the building.  He climbed into a truck and drove off.  He didn't have a barcode, but he was carrying an X5.  I could tell by the clothes she was wearing.  They were standard issue grey-wear for prisoners."

          Jondy and OC looked at each other.  They turned to CeCe and she nodded.  "I saw them when I was leaving the language center after the alarms started.  I had been working on some programming languages with some French contractors brought in to help track Eyes Only.  We had no idea he was actually in the system at that point.  I made my way eventually down and around to the main floor when I saw them walking out the front door.  Everyone had been locked in their offices except the soldiers."

          "Manticore was attacked by Eyes Only."  Evangeline said through gritted teeth.  "Others have said it isn't true, but what else could it have been?"

          "Eyes Only didn't attack Manticore."  Jondy said.  "Eyes Only saved the kids from the project.  He set all of you free."

          CeCe saw the disbelief in her eyes.  "It's true."  She assured the younger girl.  "Think back to Tactical Combat classes.  Why would the enemy release the troops that could converge on his location and confront him and keep the weaker techs and scientists locked in their offices?  Eyes Only set us free.  He brought down the project so we could have normal lives and live like normal people."

          "I've heard that before, but what about 452?"  The X6 asked.  "Why set us free if he was already able to get to her on the inside?  Why would he care about us?"

          "It's all about you, girl.  You were kept in that place against your will, denied basic human rights that everyone is entitled to and not allowed to enjoy the finer things that life has to offer, like chocolate and dancing and basic elements like making your own decisions that make living worthwhile."

          "That's just propaganda."  Evangeline said.

          "Why did you bring this girl here?"  OC demanded of CeCe.

          "She refuses to believe.  I thought that maybe I could show her what it's really like out here.  Let her see how things are really working.  She doesn't believe in the cult."  CeCe offered.

          "Well you better start believing.  The cult is real and rest assured, you will have to deal with them."  Jondy said.  "We've all had to deal with the cult and a certain member of their cult in particular.  His name is Ames White."

          "I've heard that name.  They were talking about him over at the barracks."  Evangeline said.  They entered the main entrance of Fogle Towers just as she said it and the security guards on duty there looked up.  OC was worried at first, but quickly realized they would be no problem when she noticed Jondy waving.  The four men just stood there with dumb grins on their faces as CeCe and OC joined in the flirtatious behavior.  Jondy, CeCe and Evangeline could easily hear the men as the women waited for the elevator doors to close.

          "Damn."  One of them said.

          "How does Cale do it?"  Another asked.  "He lives with two drop dead beautiful women and even when he's not around, he still has some of the most gorgeous women visiting his crib."

          "I wonder what they do up there all alone."  The first one asked.

          "Pillow fights," A third laughed.  "Or is that only in the movies?"

          The elevator doors closed shutting out the conversation.  Jondy and CeCe laughed at each other.  The X6 was obviously confused by the conversation.

          "OC, do you know what those men just said?"  CeCe asked.

          "Men don't interest me girl."  OC said.  "I don't pay attention to any I don't have to or choose to.  That means that I listen to Logan when he calls, but that's about it."

          "What do you mean?"  Evangeline asked.  She was staring at OC seemingly concentrating on something as if trying to figure out something she didn't understand.  "Don't you like men?"  She asked.

          "Honey… I play for the all-girl-team and ain't nuthin' in the world going to change that."

          "What's the all-girl-team?"  The X6 asked.

          "You mean to tell me you lived in LA and ain't never heard of the all-girl-team?"  OC almost laughed.  "It's simple.  I don't like men.  I don't do men, sleep with men, date men.  I prefer women."

          "How so?"  Evangeline asked.

Conclave Catacombs

Jack's quarters…

          He had no idea how long the decryption had been running.  It had been several hours and he had been locked in his quarters the entire time.  The folder marked with the word 'Two' had been grating on his nerves the entire time.  There was something in there he needed to get to.

          The backups he made of the hard drive from the elder's quarters hadn't taken long to copy, but getting into the folders had taken some amount of time.  The encryption on Lydecker's folder had been laughable and the other folders hardly had any encryption at all.  This is why the feeling that something important.  This folder marked with one word was the key to the whole puzzle.

          Jack checked the progress and noticed that he wouldn't have to wait much longer.  There were only three single codes left to crack and he would be in.  He closed everything running on his system and leaned back in his chair.  Seven hours had been spent waiting and he needed only wait a few more minutes.

          Getting slightly more comfortable in the chair, he leaned his head back and closed his eyes.

          _He found himself sitting in a wheel chair looking at a man he recognized.  The man was named Lydecker.  He noticed how short the man was._

_          "Pretty chivalrous offering yourself in exchange for the women," Lydecker said._

_          "Well, I'm old fashioned," He answered the man._

_          "Also a little crazy," Deck offered as an afterthought._

_          Before he could react to the statement, he found himself on a roof.  His legs were no longer working and two men were holding him above their heads on the edge of a building.  It was a long way down.  When they pushed, he held only one thought in his mind._

_          The brown eyed gypsy girl…_

_          And just as suddenly as he felt the rush of falling from the top of the building, he saw her reaching out for him.  Again, she had come to save him in the darkest moment and again, she had succeeded.  He reached out for her as she reached for him.  He felt the almost electrical connection when she touched him and pulled herself close, wrapping his arms around her as they reached the extent of the rope.  She grunted as the momentum carried them towards a window not far away.  Shots rang out above them, but they were crashing through the window and landing on the bed._

_          The next thing he remembered was pulling her closer to him and staring into those eyes.  Words were traded, but there was no memory of them.  She, as always, had come for him when he needed her the most._

          The computer began beeping, ripping him from his dream.  He sat up and pulled himself toward his desk.  The decryption was complete.  The file was blinking, ready to be opened.  He double clicked on it and waited for the file to open.

          Inside the folder were two more folders.  One marked with 'Max452' and nothing else.  The other marked with 'EyesOnly' and nothing else.  He right clicked and checked the file sizes.  Both were relatively large, but he didn't want to take any chances so he scanned both folders and noticed they were also encrypted like the other one.  It would be several more hours before he would get a chance to read these files.

          Setting his decryption algorithm on the Max452 folder, he decided that several more hours of this would drive him insane without food or exercise.  He grabbed some stuff, pulled on his robes and secured his hood after locking the door to his cell.  It was a short walk to the cafeteria and he found the relative silence of dinner time to be soothing at least.  As he ate the strange pile of vitamin laden nutrients in a convenient pile of tasteless mush, he rolled the apple and orange he grabbed daily around in his hand.

          His thoughts drifted to the day he arrived here.  He had been on a bus with other nameless devotees.  He had been processed, his arm checked for the brand and his name logged.

          _"Name," A woman asked.  He stared at her, confusion on his face.  "What is your name?"  He asked._

_          "__Jack__."  He said.  "__Jack__ _Eastman___."  He smiled not really understanding why._

_          "Family: __Eastman__," The woman made a note.  She checked around at several papers on her desk before she realized that she didn't have the right paperwork.  A man had stepped forward obviously concerned that there was a problem._

_          "What's seems to be the confusion?"  He asked._

_          "I don't have this name on my list."_

_          "What is your name?"  The man asked._

_          "__Eastman__, _Jack___ _Eastman___."  He said.  The man nodded._

_          "We've been expecting you __Mr.__ _Eastman___."  The man smiled.  "I will handle his paperwork."  The man reached for the card __Jack__ had handed to the woman.  "The __Eastman__ family is known to me.  I've been waiting for him to arrive."  The man smiled again and turned to _Jack___.  "I understand you know computers quite well.  After your orientation you will be taken to the labs in the underground and logged into the system.  You will be taken to your quarters later this evening after you have checked in at your work station."_

_          The two men walked away from the table and headed toward a door in the back of them main room.  When they were a safe distance away, __Jack__ turned to the older man and looked at him.  "You've been expecting me?"_

_          "Yes.  I was told you were coming."  The man said.  "You've been expected for days now.  We had begun to think you weren't going to arrive."_

_          "I've been having some problems lately."  __Jack__ said.  "Troubling dreams," he said.  "I've been trying to…"_

_          "Well, I wouldn't worry about that.  Here, no one goes outside of their quarters without their robes on.  The short sleeve robe is standard issue down here.  Only the priestesses and Phalanx soldiers go without robes.  If you see the Phalanx coming, do not and I mean DO NOT get in their way.  They will kill you.  It happens occasionally, but it does happen.  They are the pride of The Conclave so they get privileges we monks that run everything only dream about."_

_          "Will you be running my orientation?"  __Jack__ asked._

_          "You will never see me again.  It is safer that way."  The man said._

_          "Down this corridor, a man will be waiting for you."  He pointed in the direction he wanted __Jack__ to walk.  "Oh, and one more thing, under no circumstances do you go anywhere near the lowest levels.  It is forbidden for monks to enter the training areas…"_

_          "I have questions."  __Jack__ said._

_          "You will have to find your own answers."  The man pointed.  "Remember, never remove your robe outside of your quarters."  He pointed along the hall again.  "Go, you are expected."  With that last statement, he turned and walked back to the main hall._

_Jack__ stared after him for a while before walking into the depths of the unknown place he had entered.  When he walked through the door a man asked him where he was assigned.  __Jack__ mentioned the Computer lab and was led by a third man into dark cold man made passages leading down long curving corridors.  The walk was a long one and __Jack__ got the feeling that he had passed the point of no return long ago.  Even before he had arrived here, not knowing who he was, he had that feeling.  It had come with the mark that seemed to burn itself into his skin several days earlier._

_          Now, he knew it was too late.  He was committed to the only goal he had at this point.  He needed to find out who he is and why he couldn't remember anything about his life before that night he slept on top of the space needle._

_          The man leading him along the corridor seemed small in comparison to what he had expected.  It wasn't that he had come here with expectations, but he just wasn't expecting this._

_          "What level of experience do you have?"  The smaller man leading the way asked.  He seemed to hiss certain sounds.  __Jack__ studied the man for only a second before he accepted the fact this man was no threat to him._

_          "I've worked with networks and high end telecommunications.  I have experience with satellite communications and broadcast technology.  I've worked in television and for large corporations."_

_          "Very good," the monk said.  "We'll need that expertise if we are to accomplish the task we've been given."_

_          "What task is that?"  __Jack__ asked as they approached a set of double doors leading into a cavernous room packed with several levels of computers and people.  All in the room were wearing brown, gray or deep maroon robes, mostly brown robes though._

_          "We are hunting a hacker."  A man in a brown robe said.  "He's not just any hacker though.  You'll be filled in soon.  First we have to check you into the system and scan you print.  What's your name?"_

_          "__Jack__.  __Jack__ _Eastman___."  __Jack__ said.  The man pointed to a small knobby looking device.  It was a thumb print scanner.  __Jack__ pressed his thumb into the indentation and waited.  A slight glow appeared around the edge of his thumb before the monk looked up and smiled. _

_          "Good."  The man said.  __Jack__ looked around realizing the hissy little man was gone.  "Come with me.  By the time we get you a station, you will be logged into the system.  Once you have logged into the system, you will be introduced to your team leader."_

_          "Who is that?"_

_          "His name is __Bob__."  The man said.  "He's in charge of the active trace and therefore maintains one of the most disciplined stations.  It will be your duty to trace the target when the hack is confirmed…"_

_          "Target?"  __Jack__ asked.  "What is the target?"_

_          "We're going to catch Eyes Only."  A man said stepping up in front of __Jack__.  He held out his hand and __Jack__ saw the same mark on his arm as he had on his own.  "I'm __Bob__."_

_Jack__ shook hands with the man.  He tried to peer into the dark shadows of the hood to see if he could see anything.  He saw nothing but darkness and shadow.  It comforted him for some reason, as if he understood shadow and the void.  He let go of _Bob___'s hand and smiled._

_          "I'm __Jack__.  __Jack__ _Eastman___."  __Jack__ said._

_          "Good to have you on board, __Jack__.  The information we got on you is outstanding.  Welcome to the machine."  Bob said._


	6. Lost

Lost

Seattle

Parker's residence…

          "We've been expecting you."  The man in the window said.

          "Are you Parker?"  Max asked.  She had never seen the man before and didn't know for sure.

          "What if I am?  You're going to try and kill me anyway."  He said.  "So, what does it matter who I am?"

          "It always matters."  She said.  "If you're Colonel Parker, then you have to answer some questions.  If you're not, then you're a decoy and I'm going to kill even more people trying to get out of here."

          "That is what you transgenics were created for."  He said.  He stared out into the darkness of the yard, watching the bouncy glow of lights on the lake.  "It's what you do best.  I understand you know nothing else, but how to kill quickly and efficiently."

          The words bit deep into Max.  She had tried so hard to get away from such things and hearing them tossed back at her so lightly was painful.

          "We can do other things."  Max said.  Her voice was strong, but there was a hint of sadness in it.  "Are you Parker?"

          "No."  The man said.  "He's gone.  He left us here to wait for your assault.  Not you personally, of course.  We figured one of Eyes Only's people would come.  We never expected to see the greatest of all transgenics in person.  I am honored that you have come."  Sarcasm dripped from his voice.

          "Who are you?"  Max demanded.

          "My name is Geoff Bentler.  I run security for Colonel Parker.  I was his 2IC in the Balkans."  The man said.  He held out his hand expecting Max to shake it.  He smiled and nodded when she didn't.  "I suppose you have questions?"

          "Where is Parker?"

          "He's not here.  He's up on our base making preparations for the coming siege."

          "What siege?"  Max asked.

          "The Siege of Seattle, of course," he smiled.  "We have to control this entire city.  Exterminating vermin such as your kind requires it.  Afterwards, we will have established ourselves here and can use this city and its resources as a base of operation for the coming war."

          "You realize of course that Eyes Only will never let that happen."  Max stated the words with pride.  "This is his city."

          "Do you think a hundred or so Transgenics will stop us?"  Bentler asked.  "We have an army the likes of which only the gods have ever seen!"  He was practically laughing.  He moved away from the window and toward his desk momentarily turning his back to Max.  It was a fatal mistake.

          She moved quick, grabbing his head, yanking it back and to the side before letting the body fall to the floor.  She had enough information to go on.  Now, though, she had to find a way off of the grounds and that wouldn't be easy knowing she had been expected.

          A few minutes later, she was out the door and into the nearest void seeking only to find a way out.  It quickly became evident that she would not get off the grounds without a fight.  As she approached the hall, she noticed a woman leaning over the body of one of the guards Max had dropped on the way in.

          The woman reached around behind her for her radio.  Max couldn't let her make that call.  She moved along the wall quickly and stopped behind the woman.  The woman was oblivious to all movement as she concentrated on the settings on her radio.

          The shadow moved behind her.  She didn't notice the small leather clad hands reach out for her.  When she felt the fingers close around her chin and pull, she was already gone.  The guards body slumped to the floor as the slim shadow, wrapped in black of her own stepped from the edge and into the darkness of the room.

          Max moved slowly, silently toward the next room.  Two guards were there watching a television… something designed for those who had the time and inclination for such things.  Several people were on stage trying to win the big prize.  Questions were being asked.  Both guards died silently still sitting in front of the television, the couch, their final resting place.

          She held no thought in her mind.  She carried no feeling or intent other than the kill.  Parker was not here.  His 2IC had been and he foolishly answered her questions before he died, before he realized what had happened.  She had assumed that since he was part of the cult that his men would be as well.  Most weren't.  Most were ordinary.  All were fools.

          The inside was easy.  There were a limited number of guards inside.  She even found the rooms where the girls had been kept.  An older woman, late twenties, face drawn and hard, stepped forward when she walked in.  She explained the situation to the older girl.  They would wait for one hour and then leave.  Max directed them to a safe house in sector nine and told them someone would be by to help the following morning.  The older girl nodded and the leather clad soldier left.

          It wasn't much, but it would have to be enough.

          She moved up to the small third floor chamber trying to get outside to survey the area.  It was an easy task and the shadows were cooperative as usual welcoming her into them.  She climbed out onto the roof to voices of two men sharing a zippo light.  Smoke curled and disappeared in the slight breeze.  She slipped into a nearby shadow and waited.

          "They say it's going to go down soon."  One of the guards said.

          "That's what I hear."  The other one answered.  "The buildup will be more than enough to control a few hundred or so of the freaks."

          "Ya think?"  The first one asked with a laugh.  "I mean, have you seen these soldiers they are bringing in?"

          "I was watching them train the other day.  They beat on each other with those weapons and don't even flinch.  It's like they don't feel anything."

          "Yeah," the first one mumbled.  "It's freaky… I'm going to walk the perimeter and check the grounds.  I'll catch ya on the other side."

          "Right," the second one agreed.  "Can't have the bosses stuff infiltrated."  He snickers.  "Wouldn't be right to let them get to his precious harem downstairs…"

          He turned and started to walk in the opposite direction of his comrade.  He didn't get four steps before he found himself lost to the darkness.  His partner didn't get much further before he felt the leather grip of iron around his throat and his darkness came as well.

          She crouched, heading along the edge of the roof to the northeast corner until she was standing over the two floodlights pointing in opposite directions, leaving a dark void in the center.  It would be enough to hide her when she needed to get to the ground.

          She continued her crouched recon from the roof marking the remaining eighteen soldiers guarding the outside of Parker's house.  Some were female, but most were male and all but two were ordinary.  She could tell for some reason.  It was a feeling, but she knew the two conversing on the patio earlier were Phalanx.  She would have to take them out first or they would start to question the missing guards outside the grounds before she was finished making them disappear.  She would have to be quick and get it right the first time.  It would require precision movement and timing.  Drop between when they weren't looking at each other and take the chance.

          She moved across the roof toward the patio around the back.  The glow of the outdoor pool gave off an eerie blue-green glow.  A light rain began to fall.  She could hear their voices talking about irrelevant things.  Her mind was completely blank as she pulled herself to the very edge.  She waited.

          She didn't have to wait long.  The big man turned and with a nod to the woman, started to walk away.  The woman stood there staring out over the pool watching the grounds with a well trained eye.

          She dropped behind the female guard catching her neck and pulling the woman to an impossible angle as she dropped into a crouch, snapping her neck and setting the dead body on the ground.  The man stopped as if to turn, but she phased across the short distance and grabbed his head in a vice like grip.  The hideous pop of the vertebrae seemed to echo across the surface of the water between the two buildings as she dropped the man's body to the ground.

          Behind her, but far enough into the yard, two men were approaching,  They had almost reached the perimeter of their security pattern and without looking at the patio, they curved back along the edge of the tree lined yard continuing out of view of the two bodies.  She grabbed the bodies by their collars and dragged them behind some furniture near the patio door.

          She stepped out and headed for the east grounds where the tiered garden was.  It would provide plenty of cover for her as she picked off the remaining guards one by one.

          How proud would Colonel Lydecker be if he knew what she was doing right now?  How much excitement would he feel knowing that she was out here, killing?  Her stomach lurched with the thought.  She didn't want to think about it, but she couldn't help herself as she moved through shadow after comfortable shadow dropping one guard here, two there.  Another crumbled at her feet, still twitching as she reached out from the darkness to drag yet another unsuspecting victim to the shadows, to their death.

          Her thoughts, which should not have been existent at all, were solely on Colonel Donald Lydecker.  He had made her do this.  He had brought her to this point.  He had won after all.  He found the trigger.  Maybe he had always known it.  Maybe he had understood her better than she thought or believed he did.  The Colonel took the one thing that kept her grounded and centered.  He took the one thing in this world she held above all else in her life.  He took Logan away from her.  This put here right where he wanted her.  It turned her into that which she feared, hated most.  It made her the perfect soldier Lydecker had always wanted.  He got what he wanted, and for that, she swore as she snapped another guards neck without thought for the victim she just killed, Lydecker would die by her hand alone and no other.

          _"I just wanted you kids to know and reach your full potential."  _He had said to her once.  She had reached that potential here tonight.  She had become the killer, the assassin he had tried to make them all become.  She had willingly chosen this path and she wasn't sure she would ever be able to return to what had been before.

          "Team four, report," a guard said.  "Team six…" He said again.  "Anyone?"  He pleaded.

          A second passed in which she wanted to give away her position.  She wanted him to go running to Parker and tell him that a girl had destroyed his home.  She wanted to send a messenger and tell Parker that she was on her way and that she was coming for him.

          "Team two!  Team three!"  The guards said again.

          She wanted to tell someone how much she hated herself at this very moment.

          "Lt. Bentler?"  The man asked, sounding more like a lost child now.  "Anyone…"

          As she prepared to reach out of the shadows and take the last guard into them with her, a movement caught her eye and she noticed a Manticore hand signal from the trees as a transgenic soldier dashed between some shadows on the far side of the yard.  They had seen the bodies.  They knew what had happened here.

          She paused only for a second before reaching out and drawing the young guard back into the shadows with her.  The pop of his third vertebra was muffled by her arm.  She felt it radiate through her arm.  It ripped into the core of her own being and she knew, instantly that she was broken now as well.

          With a last glance to the team of transgenics now checking the grounds, she stayed in shadow and retreated from the yard, toward the waterfront.  They would find the women and take them out of here.  They would do the right thing.  The older girl in the room would tell them what she said.  They would take her out of here.

          Eventually, she found her way back to the Fogle Towers garage.  Her bike sat next to the Aztek.  Jondy had taken hers out when she and OC had gone looking for her.  Max had only one place to go now.  She couldn't return to the penthouse.  She couldn't go to OC's, her old apartment.  She couldn't go to the cabin because Jondy had been there.  She had to disappear and there was only one way to do that.

          She had to become non-existent.

          She had to run away.

St. Louis

Bus Station…

          Zack looked at Eva.  She seemed comfortable in this world.  It appeared that she didn't have any problems dealing with the everyday aspects of being a specialized soldier in a broken world.

          "Ask me anything, Zack.  I'll answer any questions you have."  She said.  They had just passed through a back entrance to the terminal.  Several people saw them come in, but no one said anything.

          "I don't really have questions.  It's just that you seem comfortable living like this.  Aren't you worried that someone might come looking for you?"

          "The only people that are going to come looking for me are other transgenics.  The cult doesn't know where I am.  I doubt they even know that I exist.  I was on a deep cover mission when Manticore fell.  No one knows where I was or who I was at the time.  Only if someone in the government found out I was an Eyes Only source would anyone really try to find me and believe me, no one in the government could actually track me down.   That would mean they got through Eyes Only security and that is never going to happen.  Only Maxie was better at escape and evade than I was."

          "What was the mission?"  Zack asked.

          "I was trying to find someone…"  Eva said.

          "Trying to find…" Zack pushed.

          "I had been sent out to identify Eyes Only.  I was sent to terminate his command."  Eva did not seem to be proud of the fact.  "Instead of proceeding with the termination, I became an informant."

          "Why?"  Zack asked.  "I don't understand.  You had a mission, why not finish it?"

          "Why finish a mission when the people that sent me on it were no longer alive?"  Eva asked.  "I was left with a situation that demanded I follow through for people that were no more or redeploy and find a better life.  A life of my own…" She said.  "With Manticore, I would have been locked in a cell until I was needed, occasionally going outside to train or shoot or practice my evasion techniques…"

          Zack stopped dead in his tracks and stared off into the distance.  Eva quickly scanned the direction Zack was staring but there wasn't much in their line of sight.

          _"Escape and evade.  We used to play this game back in Manticore."  __Max__ said._

_          "You were always good at it."  Zack answered before leaning back in his seat._

_          "You okay?"  She asked.  She looked at the man driving the vehicle.  His name was __Logan__.  Zack couldn't see his legs.  He just seemed to be stuck in the seat._

_          "I'm fine... I just, didn't get any sleep."  He answered __Max__._

          "Zack," Eva said his name.  He stared straight ahead.  "Zack," she shouted.

          "South Market," Zack whispered.

          "What?"  Eva asked.  "What are you talking about?"

          "Logan.  His name is Logan.  I remember him now.  He's the one… he was with…"

          "Zack, you're not making a helluva a lot of sense right now."  Eva said.  "What about Logan and where is South Market?"

          "I don't know."  Zack said.  "It's confusing.  I remember being in a car with Max and Logan.  Logan and I had gone to South Market because Maxie needed our help."

          "So South Market is in Seattle.  Why did Maxie need your help?  Was she in trouble?"

          "I don't remember, but we were in Logan's car for a long ride.  He took us somewhere, but I don't know where.  I don't remember where."  Zack looked down at the ground.  "I don't remember much of anything."  The defeated tone he used was more than adequate to worry Eva.

          "Look, Zack," she started.  "I'll help you get through this.  When the others get here, maybe some other memories will come back to you."

          "Maybe…"  He mumbled the word, but his eyes were now focusing on something.  Eva again looked in the direction he was looking.  There was the man they had come to find.  Only he was surrounded by several officers.

          "Trouble," Eva said.

          "I see it."  Zack said.  "We need a plan."

          "No time.  They are taking him away."  Eva pointed toward the paddy wagon they were walking toward.  "If they take him out of here, we may never see him again and then we loose the only link Max has to Colonel Lydecker.

          "We have to track that van."  Zack said.

          "Bikes," Eva pointed again, this time to a pair of bike messengers that were heading into a building.  "We can follow the van at a discreet distance."

          "I don't have a sector pass."  Zack said.

          "Don't worry about that.  We'll just wait for them outside of the sector and take their bikes there.  The local lockup is only two sectors over.  We should be able to get to the van in the next sector and retrieve the doctor before they get him to the station."

          "Sounds like a plan.  I'll meet you on the outside.  You should go through the checkpoint and wait for them there.  You can get to them if they get out before I get around the sector."  Zack said.  He disappeared into the crowd almost instantly.  Eva tried to locate him, but he was already gone.  She went to the line at the sector gate and pulled her all-sector pass from Eyes Only and waited in line.  Just before she checked through, she noticed the bike messengers leaving the bus terminal and saw the police van pulling up to the gate and checking their sheet against the station guards.  She would be through about the same time the truck passed.

          Outside the sector checkpoint, she watched the van pull over and wait for something.  There was no reason for it, but it sat there for almost fifteen minutes.  Zack was already around the perimeter and standing beside her as they waited for something to happen.  Nothing did.  The van just sat there.  The messengers had long been forgotten.

          "We should move."  Zack said.

          "No."  Eva answered.  "Something's not right.  There's something going on here."

          "They are probably interrogating the prisoner."  Zack said.  "I would be doing it during the drive personally, but I'm not in charge."

          Eva looked at him with a sidelong glance that read volumes.  Zack looked back at her.  She smiled.  "What?"  He asked.

          "That's just such a Zack thing to say."  Eva answered.  "Are you sure you're not remembering things?"

          Zack didn't answer.  The van started to drive off and Eva and Zack were off after it.  They ran to the corner where the van turned to another street seemingly circling.  Zack pointed and they ran toward a biker just getting onto his rice burner.  At least, he tried to get onto the bike, Zack threw him into the wall ten feet behind them, mumbling something about official business and climbed on.

          Eva grabbed a hold of Zack's waist and Zack took off like an old pro.  "It's not a Ducati, but it's got some power."  He hollered over his shoulder as they sped around the bend following after the van, narrowly missing an oncoming car.

          The chase ran about four more blocks before the van pulled into an old parking garage.  Zack and Eva ditched the bike and took the steps on the far side of the garage, following the van to the top of the eight story carport.  The top, mostly deserted at this late afternoon hour was open and provided little cover, but Zack and Eva managed to get closer without being seen.

          "How do you want to do this?"  Eva asked.

          "Why are you asking me?"  Zack questioned her.  His face was a stone, but she could tell he wasn't sure what he was supposed to be doing.

          "You're the CO if I remember correctly."  Eva said.  "You lost this guy, so it's on you to get him back."  She smiled.

          "Yeah, right," Zack said.  "CO my ass.  I'm still trying to figure out who I am.  It's your call."

          "Okay.  You have a point there."  Eva almost laughed.  "It looks like their waiting for something.  Maybe a chopper to pick this guy up, so we have to act fast…" She suggested, but it was already too late.  A large, black chopper arced toward their location from the riverfront.  They dove for cover underneath an abandoned vehicle just as the chopper slowed and dropped smoothly toward the pavement landing in the open area at the top of the platform.

          "It's good to see you, again."  The greasy little doctor said.  "Guess who I ran into today."  He laughed.

          "You can brief me later."  Another man said.  "It's time to come in from the cold.  We need you on Moreau."

          Zack heard the gasp from Eva when she heard the second man's voice.  He looked over at her, but he couldn't place the voice just then.

          "Moreau?"  The Doc asked.  "Are you serious?"

          "Yes."  The man said.  "We are going ahead as planned and we need you to resume your duties out there."

          Zack nudged Eva and nodded in the direction of the conversation.  "That voice."  He said.  He remembered now.  He could hear the tone and the control, and he could hear that almost lock jawed delivery of each meticulous sentence.  "I know that voice."  He said.  It was a voice he never thought he could forget.

          "Yes."  Eva said.  "We aren't even remotely prepared for this."

          "Thanks for the vote of confidence, Colonel, but before we leave Seattle, there are some things you need to know."  The greasy Doctor said.  His voice trailed off as the chopper fired up its system and lifted off the highest level of the garage.

          When Eva and Zack pulled themselves out from the cover of the abandoned car, they looked around cautiously before realizing they were completely alone.  "Let's check the van."  Eva said.

          "Why?"  Zack asked.

          "It's the only lead we have right now."  She answered.  "I'm sorry Maxie."  She said.  Zack looked at her with a sidelong glance, wondering why she was giving into emotion like that.

          "We'll find him."  His voice said, stunning him as much as it stunned Eva.  "If that truly was Colonel Lydecker then we'll find him."

          "How do you propose we do that?"  Eva asked.  "We don't even know where that chopper went."

          "We'll use bait the Colonel can't resist."

The Conclave

Mess Hall entrance…

          Jack walked along the corridor toward the mess hall.  He sensed Bob following him before the man was even close to catching up with him.  Maybe he was just aware of the time.  It had been almost 24 hours after all.  He knew Bob was aware of his knowledge of the resistance, but he was not certain how Bob would react to it.

          "JACK!"  Bob called in the deserted hall.  "Jack, slow down."  Bob ran up beside Jack and matched his pace stride for stride.  Almost in a military fashion, their steps sounded in dull muffled thumps as they walked.  Neither man spoke through most of the walk, but as they approached the cafeteria level, Bob finally broke the uncomfortable silence.  "So where do we go from here?"

          "That's up to you."  Jack said.

          "What is?"  Bob asked.  He stepped in front of Jack, risking the man's wrath a second time.  "Why is it up to me?"  Bob demanded.

          "Because you're in deep, and you hate what White and his radical faction are doing as much as I do."  Jack explained.  "I can help you."

          "How?"  Bob asked.  "How can you help me?"

          "I'm the best programmer and researcher in this place."  Jack said.

          "You know that for sure, do you?"  Bob laughed.  Jack reached into his robes and pulled out a sheet of paper.  He handed it to Bob and stepped around the man, heading into the mess hall.

          "I'm hungry."  Jack said.  "You know what you have to do."

          "What's to stop me from turning this over to them?  They won't like that you have this?"  He obviously hadn't read it.  He didn't see his name on the top of the list.

          "I'm very sure you wouldn't want White and the High Priestess finding out about any of this.  You've got two factions here striving toward the same goal.  I don't mind the sound of that goal, but exterminating four billion people world wide, that's a little extreme, don't you think?"  Jack said.  "I realize this page is kind of trivial and all, but I like your plan better than theirs.  At least everyone doesn't have to die.  Let me in or I turn this paper over to White and the priestesses and seek my end in their embrace.  I don't want to die, but I'm not going to take any chances here."

          "And if you transfer this document, then all of us will.  There will be a witch hunt within these walls that will lead to civil war."  Bob said.  He finally realized what he was holding.  He focused on his name and the names of several of his cohorts.  "This is the entire upper ranks… how did you get this?"  

          "It's crude, I know, but still… very effective."  Jack said.  He entered the mess hall and the quiet roar of hushed voices assaulted his senses.

          Bob stuffed the page into his pocket and followed Jack toward the cafeteria line.  Neither man spoke as they filled their trays and walked toward a table on the far end of the great hall.  When they sat down, Bob spoke only in a whisper.

          "Even if I wanted to let you in… there are ways of doing things."  Bob said.  "You don't just invite yourself into something like this."

          "I do."  Jack said.  "Exposure means civil war.  I've done my research.  You went underground 2000 years ago because of a civil war.  It's taken you this long to rebuild and plan and have some way to act."

          "And you think you will make all the difference.  You think you are going to save us?"  Bob whispered.  The sarcasm in his hushed tones was obvious.

          "I think I have a unique situation.  White came to me.  He expects things from me.  I can control the flow of information.  I can manipulate the information he receives and keep him one step behind you."

          "And what exactly do you think will happen to you when White finds out what you're doing?"  Bob demanded.

          "He won't find out.  No one will.  I have no fear of White."  Jack said.

          "Everyone here is afraid of White."  Bob said.  "He walked the gauntlet and survived.  Only one other special breed survived the gauntlet.  Only difference between the two was that White chose to do it."

          "Who was the other one?"

          "We don't speak his name.  It is forbidden."  Bob said.  "It would be wise for you to fear White.  Hell, look around you.  Do you know how tense he makes everyone?  Watch the others when he comes into the lab next time.  Watch everyone that comes in contact with him.  He's being groomed.  Everyone fears him.  It was another like him that forced us to start the column in the first place."

          "I have no fear of the man."  Jack said.  "I have information that you don't.  I have found information that you could not and I know how to protect it."

          "What kind of information?"

          "Let me in and find out."  Jack said.  He stood and left the table grabbing an apple as he walked out of the cafeteria.  Bob tucked the sheet of paper into his robes and stared after Jack as he walked out of the large cavernous room.

          Jack didn't look back.  He just kept walking.  If Bob ran up to him now, then everything would fail, but if Bob went to others on the list and talked to them, it would all work out.  The situation was out of his hands now.  He had drawn his cards and called his friend.  He walked out of the cafeteria and could hear some people speaking.  A monk and a couple of priestesses were walking toward him.

          "It had better be major."  The priestess said.  Jack looked at her.  He was watching her as she and the others with her passed.  She stared into his hood as if she could see him in there.  She couldn't, but when she stopped in front of him he nodded slightly.  He words were familiar to him.  His mind was on fire with burning memories that he did not understand.

          _"Blowing up my pager, it had better be major…" the gypsy girl said only it wasn't the gypsy girl…_

          "I asked why you are staring at me."  The priestess said.  Jack shook his head slightly and stepped around her.  He continued along the hall, ignoring the priestess behind him still demanding answers.  "I am talking to you Brother."

          Bob's voice chimed in then.  "Brother White has been overworking that particular tech for a few days now.  You have to excuse him, he's been somewhat, distracted lately."  Bob's voice trailed off, arguing with the priestess over White and why Jack was non-responsive.  Jack continued on taking the first three right turns he approached, not paying attention to where he was going.

          He did not care about Bob's conversation.  He did not care about the priestess.  He cared only about his secrets and finding out everything he could about the gypsy girl.  She had not come to him in his dreams recently, but she was now speaking to him through others within the catacombs.

          "You're going insane…" he started.  He was going to say his name, but speaking the name out loud didn't seem right.  He was confused.  He answered to the name.  He was known by the name but somehow it did not seem right to him when he thought it.  "You are going insane… Jack."  He spoke the name with a sharp snap of his tongue.  "Jack.  Jack doesn't sound right."  He mumbled as he walked.

          He looked up realizing that he had been lost in his thoughts while he wandered.  This part of the catacombs looked vaguely familiar to him, but he wasn't sure he had ever been here before.  This was the medical sector.  The infamous labs he had heard about in rumor and innuendo.  This place had a stigma about it.  This place was evil.

          He turned away heading down a corridor, suddenly finding himself in a place with several locked rooms.  Iron bars blocked the way and thin slits provided food whenever the keepers remembered.  Jack was surprised to find the place unguarded.

          He could hear moans, soft groaning and crying in some cells.  There was growling in others.  Some smelled bad, as if death had visited there.  He walked the entire length of the corridor until he came to a curving path sloping upward to the right.  He could hear voices above him, guards, bored with their duties.  They did not matter to him.  However he did not want a confrontation right now.  He turned and headed back the way he came.

          It was halfway down the hall when she spoke to him.  He didn't know who she was.  He couldn't see her, but she knew he was there.

          "You seem lost little brother."  Her tone was one of boredom and her voice was weak from age.  Jack didn't know how he could know that, but he did.  "Strange times.  Strange, strange times."  She muttered.  "What do you seek?"  She asked suddenly.

          Jack stopped.  He looked along both ends of the corridor.  There was no one around.  "No one comes little brother.  But are you a brother?  Are you?"  She demanded suddenly.

          "Are you speaking to me?"  Jack asked.

          "Who else is with you?"  The woman asked.  "Stupid boy doesn't know himself.  Can't know others if he doesn't know himself.  You must know yourself before you can know others."  She cackled like an old witch.  Jack was sure that someone could hear it.

          "What do you want?"

          "What do you want?"  The woman asked.

          "I wasn't paying attention to where I was going."  Jack said.  "I'm looking for a way out."

          "There is only one way out of here."  The woman said.  "The girl knows the way out.  She will find you and bring you from the fire and then the real challenge will begin.  There is only one way out.  "

          "What are you talking about?"  Jack asked.  "What girl?"

          "She comes from the dream world into reality.  Not real, but created, a figment of man's imagination.  You must find her first… she can't survive without you.  She is fallen.  She is alone.  You must find her first, only then can she save you."

          "I'm not following…"

          "You don't follow anyone.  You've never followed anyone.  You live apart from reality, but you have eyes.  You see through your eyes, only.  Seek the truth, reveal the lies and give the world back its peace.  Only you…"  The woman said.  "Only you…"

          "Only me, what?"  Jack asked.  "Only me what?"  He demanded, but the woman was quiet again.  Crying could be heard mingled with insane laughter and that weird growling.  Jack stared into the cell until he heard voices of the guards.  He headed back the way he had come toward the medical center.

          Back in the medical sector, he walked into a commotion as lab techs argued over the best way to dissect a live specimen.  An administrator, wearing maroon robes was trying to calm and control the argument.  Jack turned avoiding the confrontation, sickened by the discussion he had just heard.  He was confused by the one he had just had.  Suddenly, nothing made much sense to him.

          Suddenly, he realized just how alone he was.


End file.
